Offices Of Nepal President, PM Declared Unsafe After Earthquakes

By Yuba Nath Lamsal KATHMANDU, May 14 (Bernama) -– The offices of the Nepal president and prime minister have been declared unsafe for occupation, following the earthquake on April 25 and the May 12 powerful aftershock. A team of engineers from the urban development and housing ministry inspected the presidential palace and the prime minister’s office and found them both unsafe for use, said Chief Secretary to the Nepal Government, Lila Mani Poudyal. President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has moved out to a rented house for safety as both his official residence and office have been declared unsafe, according his press adviser, Rajendra Dahal. Prior to moving out, the president had set up a makeshift office in a tent within the premises of the presidential palace and stayed there for 10 days. Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, too, has set up a makeshift office in an open space under a tent within the premises of the government’s central secretariat, said an officer at the Prime Minister’s Office, Komal Bhattarai. However, Koirala’s official residence is safe. Buildings of several other ministries have also been declared unsafe. They include the foreign, defence, finance, general administration, home, youth and sports, labor and employment, and industry ministries, according to the urban development and housing ministry. "The people are afraid to enter the damaged office buildings and offices, and had to be shifted to an open place" said Bhattarai, adding “we are doing only urgent works from the makeshift office”. The April 25 massive earthquake and May 12 powerful aftershock killed more than 8500 people in Nepal and damaged property worth billions of dollars in Nepal. According to United Nations, almost 8 million people, which is more than a quarter of Nepal’s population, have been affected by the recent earthquakes. -- BERNAMA