Minister Basnet visits disasters-hit villages with warm clothes

Helambu, Jan 21: Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet Thursday visited disaster-hit Helambu in Sindhupalchowk and Gaun Kharkha in Nuwakot, with relief assistance materials for the affected. The districts lie in the list of among the 14 districts highly affected by the last year’s devastating earthquake.
Massive snowfall had hit the villages recently. On the occasion, the Home Minister provided the disasters victims with warm clothes received from the International Relief Organisation Samaritan’s Purse.
It may be noted that earlier Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had telephoned to the organisation, calling for help for the disasters-hit people. Though the Prime Minister himself was scheduled to visit the villages, he could not do so as he had to participate in the political talks in the capital.
On the occasion, 975 people of Helambu received warm clothes.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Basnet pledged to take the post earthquake reconstruction efforts at a war-footing level, calling for all side support and cooperation for the same. Nepal will come back to the previous position, he said.
Lawmakers from the district Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Lyarkal Lama and Sher Bahadur Tamang stressed that the reconstruction works should be carried out in a prompt and effective way.
Samaritan’s Purse Vice President Ken Issacs said the organisation was proud to get an opportunity to lend helping hands to the people hit by the disaster.
Chief District Officer Gokarna Duwasi shared that some 97 per cent houses were completely damaged by the earthquake and some survivors have been deprived of relief assistance due to various reasons. Similarly, the Home Minister distributed warm clothes to some 828 needy. He was accompanied by Nepali Congress lawmaker Arjun Narsingh KC, CPN (UML) leader Mahendra Bahadur Pandey and UCPN (Maoist) leader Hit Bahadur Tamang.