Yogesh Bhattarai Criticizes Government’s Disaster Relief Budget as Inadequate

Yogesh Bhattarai, Secretary of the CPN-UML, has raised serious concerns over the government’s insufficient allocation for relief and rescue efforts amidst escalating natural disasters driven by climate change.

Addressing a session of the House of Representatives on Thursday, Bhattarai underscored the pressing impact of climate change on the frequency and severity of weather-related disasters in Nepal. He criticized the government’s budgetary provisions for disaster mitigation as grossly inadequate.

“The government’s preparedness falls short of expectations,” remarked Bhattarai. He highlighted a critical issue within the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority’s (NDRRMA) budget. “With the NDRRMA receiving an annual budget of Rs 180 crores, of which 150 crores are consumed by salaries and allowances, only a mere 3 crores remain for operational tasks. This is untenable,” he stated.

Despite these challenging conditions, Bhattarai acknowledged the ongoing efforts of the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force in conducting rescue operations. However, he stressed that these agencies are not sufficiently equipped to handle the increasing demands of post-disaster relief and rescue.

Bhattarai urged the government to promptly implement comprehensive nationwide disaster preparedness measures. He emphasized the urgent need to equip security agencies with the necessary tools and resources to enhance their effectiveness in disaster response.