KATHMANDU: Panchkhal Municipality Mayor Mahesh Kharel has personally donated Rs 2 million to support families affected by floods and landslides.

Kharel said he contributed the amount to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

“I had pledged during the election campaign to dedicate my entire 10-year salary to public service,” he said. “In line with that commitment, I have donated Rs 2 million for the relief of families affected by the floods and landslides.”

Mayor Kharel also said that he would continue to use his remaining salary for public service. He said the contribution was an effort to return a small portion of what he had received from the people to those facing hardship.

Panchkhal Municipality had earlier decided to provide Rs 1 million in assistance to victims of the Bhotekoshi Disaster.

According to the municipality, it has also decided to contribute an amount equivalent to one week’s salary of elected representatives to the relief fund.

Similarly, the municipality has decided to provide Rs 100,000 each to the families of Panchkhal residents who died or went missing in the floods.

Asked why he personally chose to Make such a large contribution, Mayor Kharel said, “The country and society have given me this identity. Politics is about serving society. It is also a family tradition for us that one citizen helps another when they are in difficulty. I made this contribution in keeping with that spirit.”