Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli has defended the procurement process of medical supplies calling allegations of irregularities false and baseless.
"The regular processes for normal time do not suffice at this abnormal time. Special arrangements have, therefore, been made for medical supplies," he argued during the address to the nation on Tuesday.
The government on Wednesday unilaterally revoked the contract with Omni Group, that had brought the first lot of medical materials from China three days earlier, citing the latter's inability to bring additional materials. Omni Group, with no previous experience in medical supplies, was given the contract without any bidding process in a process that lacked transparency.
It has since decided to hand over the responsibility of bringing the materials to the Nepal Army through government to government arrangements. The decision to ask the army to bring in the medical supplies has also been widely criticized.
PM Oli, who looked healthy and seemed to have recovered well after the second kidney transplant, conceded that the government's actions should be in accordance to the law and must pass in crucible of good governance but called the recent allegations false and made with an intention to not allow the government to work.
"I urge that everyone should pay attention to the fact that baseless and false propaganda made in a way that one cannot work or the processes cannot even be started only discourages those working in such difficult situation," he stated.
He pointed that he has paid attention to the criticisms in the society especially in the media and social media, and then asked the people to fight against this national and global crisis against the humanity in unison instead of indulging in propaganda for vested interest of failure of the government. "Such propaganda waged for different kinds of vested interests for failure of the government is like 'playing unseasonal music' and cannot be praised at any cost," he opined.
He stressed that the continuous false propaganda cannot weaken the government's commitment to not indulge in corruption or allow corruption. "The current government will not hesitate a bit in relentless action if any irregularities or corruption are seen."
