Kathmandu, August 30
Nepali Congress President and leader of the main opposition Gagan Thapa has said the government should not hesitate to seek foreign assistance for rescue operations in tunnels, as domestic expertise alone appears insufficient.
Thapa made the remarks during a discussion held on Sunday at the Nepali Congress central office in Sanepa, Lalitpur, attended by party office bearers, central committee members and other stakeholders.
“We have received information that rescue operations in the tunnel cannot be carried out with our available expertise alone. After learning this, I contacted the foreign minister and urged him to seek assistance from other countries,” Thapa said.
He said it was natural to seek assistance from neighbouring and other countries during a disaster.
The Nepali Congress has decided to extend full support to the government during natural disasters, including floods, landslides and inundation, while also drawing attention to weaknesses in rescue and relief operations.
Thapa said supporting the government during a disaster is the duty of an opposition party, adding that pointing out gaps and shortcomings in the government’s response is not criticism but a form of assistance.
Emphasising the important role of local governments in disaster management, Thapa urged the federal government to coordinate with local authorities.
He argued that effective disaster management would not be possible by bypassing local governments. As the country remains in mourning and thousands of citizens have been affected, Thapa directed all levels of the party not to organise public celebrations or events.
He stressed that the party’s entire focus should now be on rescue efforts and the collection and distribution of relief supplies. “We can observe festivals such as Haritalika Teej in a normal manner, but I urge everyone not to organise public celebrations or extravagant events,” he said.
A disaster management team led by Thapa is scheduled to leave on Monday to inspect the directly affected areas and coordinate relief efforts. He said the team would provide further suggestions to the government and press the government for action based on information gathered from the field.
