Kathmandu, March 19 Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba today criticised government handling of post-quake reconstruction and the state’s failure to ensure smooth supply of cooking gas even though the border blockade ended long ago. The post-quake reconstruction is moving at a snail’s pace and donors who pledged the much-needed money are absolutely disenchanted, the newly elected Congress president said in a free-wheeling interview given to this daily. “Nothing is moving while people are dying due to cold even today,” he said. The border blockade was lifted long ago, but people face continued shortage of cooking gas while black-marketing is rampant, Deuba said. “If it is not a party to it why isn’t the government cracking down on these unscrupulous traders?” Deuba fumed. Deuba, however, said his party was not planning to dislodge the government. “Nepali Congress will play the role of an effective opposition and intensify efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the boundary issue.” All political parties, he said, should be willing to compromise. “In the mid and far-west, Tharus may be given autonomy. I will soon be going to Kailali to consult Pahadi and Tharu leaders.” He said the new electoral system will only produce a hung parliament and there will be no political stability for long. It would have been good if we had been able to agree on electing the Lower House through first-past-the-post system and the Upper House through proportional representation. The biggest challenge the country faces is implementing the constitution, he said. There is no alternative other than making compromises for all the parties, he said. The three-time prime minister, criticised for splitting the Congress party, passionately defended the charges against him, saying it would be unfair to put all the blame on him. According to him, there are just too many things to straighten up – from cracking down on corruption to keeping bureaucracy, police, army and the judiciary free of politics, bringing in foreign investment and improving the governance system. In his own party, he said, the Mahasamiti likely to meet in about six months, could take a call on whether to increase the number of positions to manage the aspirations of elected leaders.