NGOs should participate in Nepal's rehabilitation process: FM

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said non-government organisations (NGOs) should participate in the rehabilitation process of earthquake-hit Nepal.

"After relief, rehabilitation process in Nepal should start and NGO's should participate in the process," Jaitley said while flagging off a consignment of relief material to Nepal here today.

The Minister added that the quality of life of those who survived in Nepal must improve.

"There is a principle of rehabilitation. Quality of life of those who survived must improve as compared to what it was earlier," he said.

Noting that India's disaster management capacity has improved, Jaitley said, "India's disaster management capacity has improved. We rescued people from Iraq, Yemen and Nepal. Earlier, only USA had expertise in disaster management."

The death toll in Nepal's worst quake in 80 years has shot up to 7,040 with another 14,100 people injured, according to data from Nepal's Home Ministry.

The figure is expected to go up further, with bodies still being pulled out from mounds of debris in several areas.