Kathmandu. The government has decided to postpone the search and rescue phase after the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods for the time being, except for the most urgent.
The 21st meeting of the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Balendra Shah took this decision. The meeting also decided to direct the bodies concerned to expedite the reconstruction and rehabilitation work along with the necessary searches.
The decision was taken based on the recommendations of the District Security Committee, the District Disaster Management Committee, the Executive Committee of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and an on-site inspection.
Similarly, the meeting has decided to send recommendations to the Ministry of Finance for approval of a budget of Rs 559.17 billion for 504 schemes and programs received from various ministries and agencies for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected areas. Resources will be managed through the Ministry of Finance for these projects approved as per the Financial Procedures and Financial Accountability Rules, 2077.
The meeting also directed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) to recommend to the Ministry of Finance for the arrangement of necessary budget after receiving the details of the projects yet to be prioritized and the cost estimates are yet to be disclosed.
In the meeting, Prime Minister Shah said that disaster management works were being carried out in coordination with the federal, provincial and local governments and the reconstruction and rehabilitation would be carried out in the same manner. He said that the leaders of the opposition parties, the parliamentary party of the Nepali Congress and the chief ministers of Bagmati, Gandaki, Madhes and Koshi provinces have fully supported in this task.
