Relief does not seem to be forthcoming, despite the government’s promise to provide free treatment for all those injured in the recent bomb blasts in the capital. While the government has sanctioned payment of medical bills for those undergoing treatment in government hospitals, those admitted to private hospitals have no choice but to dig into their own pockets. Home ministry spokesperson Baman Prasad Neupane, in his recent statement, said that the government would treat all the victims of the blasts equally, regardless of their admittance in government or private hospitals. However, assurances alone have not been of much help to the victims in acute need of assistance to pay their medical bills.

Not much different is the plight of the bereaved families of those who drowned when a boat capsized in the Govarpur Ghat. Family members have complained that the government has shown little concern for them, let alone provide them with relief in this need of hour. Moreover, locals have also complained that the administration has been lax in carrying out relief operations or providing treatment for the victims traumatised by the disaster. These are just two examples that illustrate the gap between promise and performance. One cannot therefore help but compare these incidents in relation to the plight of victims of insurgency, or of those who were injured on other occasions, such as the April Uprising. Once promises are made, they should be fulfilled. Or the credibility of the government suffers.