NC launches ‘Rescue Nepali’ mobile app in 43 countries

Kathmandu, May 20

The main opposition Nepali Congress today launched a mobile app for collection of factual details of Nepalis living abroad who wish to return home amid the adverse situation created by COVID-19 global pandemic.

NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba launched the app called ‘Rescue Nepali’ developed by Information, Communication and Publicity Department of the party through Twitter at 3:00pm. Issuing a press release, the NC said the app was also unveiled in 42 foreign countries and territories by president and coordinators of Nepali Public Relations Committee abroad at the same time.

Those foreign countries and territories are Israel, Belgium, UK, USA, Hong Kong, South Korea, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Qatar, Malaysia, UAE, Poland, Canada, Macau, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Norway, New Zealand, India, China, Finland, Ireland, Oman, France, Cyprus, Sweden, Luxembourg, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Czech Republic, Iraq, Romania and Malta.

The NC said the party would classify the data collected through the app, and cooperate with and ply pressure on the Government of Nepal to manage relief and rescue of Nepalis on priority basis as per the factual condition of the concerned persons. The app will collected the names of Nepalis, the countries where they are living, city, contact number and details such as whether or not they have received relief materials from the concerned embassy and other organisations.

Users of this app will also mention whether they wish to continue to live abroad or return home. If they intend to return to Nepal, they will be required to provide reason.

The suggestive reasons are expiry of visa period, amnesty granted to them by the country concerned, closure of teaching-learning activities in college or university, offer of the concerned country to send them to Nepal, stranded in foreign country after being there to visit family members and other reasons.

According to the NC, app users should also mention whether they wish to return home permanently or will return to the foreign country after the situation becomes favourable in future. If the Nepalis wish to return home permanently, they will have to specify the areas they are supposed to be engaged in. The areas include agricultural production, industrial production, trade and business, meat production, technical field, educational sector and others.

The NC said details to be collected in the next one week would be handed over to the government with suggestions for necessary action.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 21, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.