Bara DAO restricts arbitrary distribution of relief materials

Bara, April 6

District Administration Office Bara has adopted stringent measures in the distribution of relief materials for the storm-hit victims in the district as part of checking arbitrary distribution practices.

Arbitrary distribution of relief materials exists no more, according to Information Officer Murari Karki at Bara. Karki said relief distribution had to be checked following the complaint that relief distribution had been ineffective and that genuine victims had been deprived of relief materials.

Police check posts have been set up at various places and those willing to provide relief to the storm-hit victims are being inquired.

Local representatives have formed relief management committees at different areas.

Organisations, individuals and groups willing to distribute relief first need to submit a written report to the District Administration Office clearly mentioning the materials they want to distribute.

Based on the report, they can distribute the relief materials to the victims in the area designated by the District Administration Office in coordination with the police and local relief management committee.

Karki said DAO adopted the stringent measure on relief distribution as the genuine victims were deprived of the relief materials owing to lack of transparency in the distribution of aid.

With the DAO’s initiative, Pheta Rural Municipality said relief management and distribution has now become easier.

“The DAO’s initiative of distributing the relief materials via one-window policy has made relief distribution work much easier,” said Secretary Daya Shankar Yadav at the Pheta Rural Municipality.

The rural municipality has distributed identity cards to each of the storm victims. The ID card incorporates details including death and damage of physical structure including home. Pheta Rural Municipality Ward No 1 chair Jay Prakash Das said they were managing relief materials on the basis of victims’ details.

Meanwhile, storm victims complained that they were yet to receive relief materials.

Kalawati Khatun of Kalaiya Sub-metropolitan City said locals unaffected by the storm had received rice, pulse, tent, among other materials.

“Those unaffected by the storm are often ahead of genuine victims in queues for receiving relief materials,” Khatun said.

A huge amount of relief materials concealed at Sano Mangadhawa of Kaliaya Sub-metropolitan City was seized and distributed among the victims. Rice, onion, pulse and other food items were recovered and distributed to the victims, said Ward Member Hridaya Narayan Kusahawa.