Mayors of Kathmandu and Lalitpur metropolitan cities and other municipalities inside the Kathmandu Valley have demanded people be stopped from entering the Valley to stop spread of COVID-19.
Mayor of Kathmandu Bidya Sundar Shakya, Lalitpur Chiri Babu Maharjan, Madhyapur Thimi Madan Sundar Shrestha and others met Deputy Prime Minister and head of the high level coordination committee to fight COVID-19 Ishwore Pokharel on Tuesday and said lockdown should not be relaxed.
"The lockdown ends on May 7. No decision has been taken yet about extension. We have drawn the attention of Deputy Prime Minister Pokharel after hearing that it will be relaxed," Mayor Shrestha told Setopati complaining that lockdown has not been implemented as the security agencies acted flexible.
Lawmakers Krishna Gopal Shrestha and Jivan Ram Shrestha also accompanied the mayors to meet Pokharel.
Pointing that risk has yet to abate despite the Valley remaining in green zone until now, they urged that people coming from outside be stopped. "It would be better if people are allowed to move only within the Valley. We must not allow people form other districts in and also stop those inside the Valley from going out," Shrestha added.
The mayors also complained how ministers and federal lawmakers themselves are making arrangements for people to go home despite Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli instructing that people should remain where they are, and urged Pokharel to stop that.
They pointed that they have been distributing relief materials and providing food to the people in need but have not received the pledged federal money. They also demanded that the government instruction should come from a single source. "We have been confused with each ministry issuing instructions and circulars. We urged him to send such instructions through a single door," Shrestha added.
DPM Pokharel after listening to the mayors said the Cabinet and the coordination committee will decide about the issues.
