Bagmati’s self-harm

The provincial council of ministers’ decision to split a ministry could not have come at a worse time.

The Bagmati provincial government has made a decision that undercuts the foundation of the provincial system. A Cabinet meeting of the provincial council of ministers led by Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama on Tuesday decided to split a ministry to create a portfolio for Madu Kumar Shrestha, who had been serving without portfolio after Lama was elected chief minister and formed a Cabinet in July. This decision has come at a time when the victims of the floods and landslides triggered by incessant rains in the last week of September have been left in the lurch for a month and a half. The government of the province which is worst hit by the disaster has taken a decision to bifurcate a ministry and add liability to state coffers when the displaced people don’t even have proper temporary shelters. Elderly people, children, pregnant women and chronic patients have been forced to stay under tarpaulins. There is no place for children to study as their schools have been ravaged by devastating landslides and floods. This is happening while the provincial government should have concentrated its resources to shift the displaced people to safe temporary huts.