NRA authorises reconstruction budget

Eleven months after the devastating earthquakes in April and May last year, the government has granted permission to the concerned authorities to use essential funds for the reconstruction of private homes, schools and other structures damaged by the tremors.

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Friday authorised the reconstruction budget to the Central Programme Implementation Units (CPIUs) at the ministries and other agencies.

The reconstruction body has authorised the concerned agencies to use the funds from Rs. 65 billion out of Rs. 91 billion that the Ministry of Finance had allotted for the reconstruction works.

Now the concerned authorities can carry out the reconstruction of private houses and other structures.

According to a press release issued by the NRA, it authorised Rs. 600 million budget to the CPIU under the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD), Rs. 2.195 billion to the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Rs. 396 million to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA).

"The budget authorised to the MoE will be used in the reconstruction of schools damaged by the earthquake while the MoTCA will use the budget in reconstruction of historical and cultural heritages and tourism infrastructure," said Ram Prasad Thapaliya, spokesperson of the NRA.

Likewise, CPIU at the Ministry of Urban Development has got approval to spend Rs. 365 million while Ministry of Agricultural Development and Department of Roads got Rs. 51 million and Rs. 665 million budget respectively.

Earlier, the Authority had approved Rs. 265 million budget for the MoFALD required for the reconstruction of private houses. 

In the first phase, the ministry has been signing agreements with the households affected by the quake at Singati of Dolakha district to distribute reconstruction grant.

The reconstruction body had decided to execute the reconstruction and rehabilitation works through the line ministries as the Authority did not have administrative structure required to implement the task.