Internal Affairs and Law Ministers from the provincial governments have stressed the need for collective efforts to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic. There should be preparedness to avert any untoward incidents caused by the infection, they said.
The internal affairs and law ministers of the provinces said so at a coordination meeting involving Home Minister Khagraj Adhikari and ministers for internal affairs and law on Sunday.
In measures to prevent and control the pandemic, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law of Province 1 Hikmat Karki has complained that the province government is not aware of rescue and relief efforts done by the federal government. As a result, the provincial government purchased equipment and materials to control the virus. “The provincial government would not purchase these materials if it was informed about these materials distributed by the federal government,” he said. There should be coordination between the provincial and federal government in this regard, he said.
At the meeting, Ministers for Internal Affairs and Law of Province 2, Bagmati Province, Lumbini Province, Karnali Province and Sudurpaschim Province, Gyanendra Kumar Yadav, Keshab Raj Pandey, Chet Narayan Acharya, Sita Kumari Nepali and Purna Joshi respectively agreed to the opinion of minister Karki in this regard.
“We could do a very well job to this effect if the government of all levels joins hands. Home Minister has coordinated in this regard. This will take a pace,” said Minister of Province 2 Yadav.
Minister of Bagmati Province Pandey stressed the need for stemming disasters in the first place instead of speeding up rescue operations.
Stating that many villages sharing border with neighbouring India could be flooded due to roads constructed rampantly by India, Minister of Lumbini Province Acharya urged Home Minister Adhikari to coordinate in this regard. He stressed the need for the federal government to provide resources to control disasters.
Similarly, Minister of Sudurpaschim Joshi laid emphasis on preparedness and immediate response.
On the occasion, Home Minister Adhikari underscored the need for effectively devising plans to deal with COVID-19 and other disasters. He also asked for coordination among federal, provincial and local governments to this effect.
Source: National News Agency Nepal