Kathmandu, April 13

Civil society representatives have called on the government to manage shelters for quake survivors before the beginning of the rainy season and expedite reconstruction efforts.

At a programme organised by Bright Nepal in the capital today, Minister for Industry Som Prasad Pandey assured that the government would allocate necessary budget for reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed in the earthquakes last year.

Parliamentarian Geeta Rana said although the civil society has not been able to pay attention to all sectors, it reached the quake survivors with relief materials in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

Chairman of Nepal chapter of Amnesty International, Surya Bahadur Adhikari, said the government should take the task of reconstruction seriously. He also criticised the government for failing to expedite reconstruction works and provide relief to the earthquake victims.

Civil society representatives, including comedian Shree Krishna Simkhada and Bright Nepal chair Poonam Dev, demanded that the government provide relief materials to the quake survivors before the rainy season.

Journalists, including the National News Agency’s Krishna Raj Gautam, were honoured on the occasion.