Kathmandu February 3.

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota has urged the leadership and staffers at the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) in Kavrepalanchowk district not be embroiled in politics anymore. Addressing an event organized by the NRCS at Banepa, Kavrepalanchowk to handover an ambulance today, Minister Baskota questioned, “Why would disputes rise in a humanitarian organization like Red Cross? Comply with the global principles and values of the Red Cross. No dispute or conflict would erupt anymore.” “We all have our own personal views and opinions but keep them to yourselves and end politics within the NRCS. There will never be any dispute and conflict,” said Minister Baskota, adding that he was confident that the current leadership in NRCS was not involved in the game of politics. Stating that conflict of interest was viewed as a normal phenomenon in the profit-making ventures, Baskota admitted that it was unpleasant to learn about conflict and dispute brewing in the humanitarian agency like the Red Cross. On a different note, he pledged to provide a catchy ‘toll free’ phone number to the NRCS. “I commit my utmost support for providing a toll free phone number to facilitate healthcare services to the public. The Ministry of Home Affairs also needs to advance this cause,” said the Minister, prodding the NRCS authority to make immediate effort towards this end. Baskota, who is also Minister for Urban Development, reminded that the Canadian Red Cross had provided humanitarian assistance to Nepal and called upon the Red Cross staffers and leadership to rise above the personal interest to fulfill the objectives of Red Cross. The Minister on the occasion provided two ambulances with necessary medical equipment in them to two rural municipalities- Pokharichauri and Bethanchowk- in Kavrepalanchwok. Bagmati State Assembly member Ratna Pradhan, Nepal Communist Party Kavrepalanchwok Chairperson Ruku Chaulagain, Pokharichauri rural municipality Chairperson Dinnath Gautam and Bethanchowk rural municipality Chairperson Prem Bahadur Baniya among others appealed the concerned local authorities to provide good healthcare services to locals through the newly donated ambulances. The ambulance was provided under the Rural Emergency and Trauma Systems Strengthening (RETSS) project with the Canadian Red Cross to help improve health care in rural places, informed NRCS Kavrepalanchowk President Raghubir Chau Pradhan, adding that the government had provided Rs 3 million tax exemption on the purchase of each ambulance. (photo available)