Miscellaneous
PM calls for unity to stand national crisis
Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has called for unity to confront the national disaster and the loss of life and property stemming from the massive earthquakeEkantipur Report
The Prime Minister made this call while making a statement in the meeting of the Legislature-Parliament on Thursday.
"The time has come at this hour for all to adopt new enthusiasm, zeal and commitment and to work as volunteers to make the best use of a single minute for tiding over the disaster, notwithstanding day or night. The country cannot be made a hostage to traditional way of working at this hour," PM Koirala exhorted.
He said nobody was the ruling side or the opposition side at present and all were the earthquake victims.
Stressing the need of moving ahead through partnership and conciliation at this time of disaster, PM Koirala also reiterated on taking forward the constitutution writing task in a speedy manner for making the country prosperous.
While expressing his commitment to making the relief and rehabilitation works fair and non-discriminatory in the context of a large part of the country reeling in crisis created by the diaster, he said these works would be effectively monitored in three phases by constituting the monitoring committees at each stage.
In this connection, the Prime Minister proposed forming the Central Monitoring Committee comprising the leaders of the parties represented in the Parliament and the District Monitoring Committee with the representatives of the parties at the district level, in the first phase.
Stating that he cut short his visit and immediately returned home very saddened that the disaster hit the country on April 25 while he was in Bandung of Indonesia to attend the Bandung Conference, PM Koirala said the present Parliament Session has been called in mutual consultations to have the common resolutiuon proposal endorsed with the unity of all the parties and to work hand-in-hand in this situation of the occurrence of the irreparable loss of life and property.
Calling upon all to gear up to face the challenge without losing composure at the time of the most daunting disaster, Premier Koirala said it is the main characteristic of the Nepali politics to face the disaster maintaining unity at times of crises.
Prime Minister Koirala, through the Parliament, called on the entire Nepali people, neighbouring countries and migrant Nepalis to lend helping hands to the government in the situation when there was a need of reconstruction of damaged infrastructures and heritages. "No Nepali citizen will be left homeless and be allowed to become a victim of malnutrition," the PM declared.
Tents and foodstuffs are the major needs of the disaster survivors, he said.
The Central Natural Disaster Rescue and Relief Committee mobolised the security bodies and international community for the search and rescue of the earthquake affected people immediately after the disaster, he said, adding that he highly evaluated the contribution of all security personnel and civil servants to the search and rescue efforts after the catastrophe in the country. Their courage, bravery, dedication and exemplary deeds in the adverse situation in the country will be recognized. They will be awarded by the state, he said.
Sharing his experiences about his visits to capital-based hospitals which are flocked with the disaster victims and some worst-hit districts, the PM said he felt people's miseries so closely and the scene he encountered at that time was heart-rending.
The first responsibility of the government after the disaster in the country was to go with the search and rescue operations and security bodies, disaster management bodies and international community were requested to cooperate with the government for the same. He thanked the international teams, who had arrived here accepting the government's call and are in the process of departure, for their kind help in the great crisis.
According to the PM, the financial aid (Rs 100,000) announced by the government to the bereaved family as compensation is being allocated, injured are being treated free of cost, efforts are on to distribute relief materials through the government and non-government sectors in an integrated channel and local bodies have been mobilised to make relief efforts more effective.
Maintenance of roads damaged by the earthquake is going on and a high alert is adopted to avoid possibility of the outbreak of epidemic after the disaster, he added. Those found indulging in black marketing taking advantage of chaos created by the earthquake have been punished and market monitoring is taking place, the PM informed the Parliament.
Prime Minister Koirala also expressed his commitment to take action against those who spread rumors, indulge in irregularities in relief distribution and involve in untoward activities like loot and anarchy. He also assured of the safety and security of the citizens at such adverse times.
He also shared that those children who lost their parents to the quake will be provided free education and health facilities.
Furthermore, the quake-hit farmers will be granted seeds and fertilizers for free. They will be provided subsidised loan and the interest would be waived.
According to the PM, the foreign trip of the Ministers and high ranking government officials were barred temporarily except for some emergency/very important ones.
The Prime Minister also shared that those institutions halted following the quake, including schools and hospital, will be brought into operation at the earliest.
Assuring of the maintenance of good-governance in all sectors of the State, the PM said that a new land use plan will be devised so as to bring the Building Code of Conduct into a strict implementation.
He added that those bearing the damage of their house could apply for government financial assistance upto Rs 200,000 if they would like to re-build their houses. And if they would like to re-construct the other destroyed infrastructures, the government will provide subsided loan. The government is going to set up a fund issuing the treasury bond for the same.
Sharing that an international conference of the donor agencies would be organized to garner further financial support to the National Fund, Prime Minister Koirala, on the occasion, presented an action plan to construct an earthquake memorial.
He informed that the government will collaborate with the donor agencies on the basis of its priority and need and the relief materials would be provided to the victims of flood, landslide and swine flu besides the recent quake victims.
The PM also said that the budget of the next fiscal year would focus on providing relief materials to the victims of the natural disasters, including the recent quake.
Earlier, a meeting of the Council of Ministers had approved the Prime Minister's address to the Parliament.