Kathmandu, June 27

Ruling and opposition parties today formed a seven-member task force to end House disruption over the main opposition party’s demand that the relief amount be released in a lump sum for earthquake victims.

The issue of who should claim credit for providing relief money to earthquake victims has created a rift between the ruling parties and the main opposition Nepali Congress party.

The NC obstructed today’s meeting of the Legislature Parliament for the fourth consecutive day, demanding that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli should commit to distributing a lump sum of Rs 2 lakh to each of the earthquake victims’ families.

UML seems to be wary of fulfilling the NC’s demand lest the Congress takes credit for providing the relief in a lump sum.

Following the dispute, the ruling parties and the NC today formed the task force mandating it to find common ground for a solution. The task force comprises Defence Minister Bhim Rawal, CPN-UML leader Subas Chandra Nembang, CPN-Maoist Centre leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara and

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal leader Dilanath Giri representing the government and Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Prakash Sharan Mahat and Chin Kaji Shrestha from the NC.

“We stressed at today’s task force meeting that the government should provide Rs 2 lakh in lump sum to each victim’s family. Even the people who have constructed houses on their own should get the money. No victim should be left out of the list.

Once, the PM makes a commitment in the House on these issues, we will end House disruption,” said task force member from NC Prakash Sharan Mahat.

A UML task force member said on condition of anonymity that the government was unable to provide Rs 2 lakh in lump sum to each of the quake victims’ families, as it was bound by the agreement reached by the previous Congress-led government with the donor communities about distributing money on instalment basis.

“The then finance minister, Ram Sharan Mahat, had rejected the same demand when the NC was leading the government.

He had stated that relief could not be provided in a lump sum, as there was an agreement with the donors that the money would be provided only in instalments. The UML government is bound by the same decision,” said the task force member.

Earlier, addressing today’s House meeting before the obstruction, Ram Sharan Mahat admitted that the previous government had agreed to provide the relief money on instalment basis.

He, however, said that since the government had made no progress on conducting survey of victims and proceeding with construction work, it should renegotiate with the donors for providing the money in a lump sum.

“It is the government’s failure to proceed with reconstruction,” Mahat said.

The task force will meet again at 8:00am tomorrow and a meeting of top leaders has been scheduled for 10:00am to settle the issue, according to Prakash Sharan Mahat.

Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar postponed the House meeting until 3:30pm tomorrow, as consensus could not be forged today on the vexing issue of relief amount.