Committees formed to suggest relocation of settlements

The National Reconstruction Committee (NRA) meeting Thursday formulated two committees - Expert Committee and Steering Committee - to study and suggest the reconstruct body on the relocation of the quake-ravaged settlements that are at the risk of landslides and other disasters.

The Authority formulated an Expert Committee led by its Directive Committee member Dr. Taranidhi Bhattarai to facilitate and provide expert opinion on the study for relocation of the settlements that are at risk.

NRA Directive Committee member Kishor Thapa, Permanent Invited member and experts from Department of Mines and Geology (DMG), Department of Land and Watershed Conservation, Central Programme Implementation Unit of Ministry of Urban Development, Department of Survey and Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention will be the member of the committee.

Likewise, Steering Committee will be led by Dr. Bhattarai while Executive Committee Members Dr. Chandra Bahadur Shrestha and Dr. Hari Ram Parajuli and heads of other respective departments will be its members.  

The meeting directed the DMG to submit the proposal along with required structure of the team, human resources, budged details and study process and methods to the NRA to complete the field observation and study before the monsoon.

Similarly, the NRA asked the Central Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development to make necessary arrangement to provide the first installment of the housing grant in eight VDCs of eight districts where the reconstruction body has forged grant agreement with the house owners.

According to a press statement issued by the Authority, the District Development Committee and government owned commercial banks to facilitate in distributing the first installment of the grant.

The grant will be distributed through Rastriya Banijya Bank in Hansapur of Gorkha district, Kharanitar of Nuwakot district, Okhreni of Ramechhap district, Jhagajholi of Sindhuli district, and Rumjhatar of Okhaldhunga district.

Nepal Bank will facilitate in Bridim of Rasuwa district while Banijya Bank and Agriculture Development Bank will jointly distribute grant in Marpak of Dhading district.

Similarly, Nepal Bank and Rastriya Banijya Bank will facilitate in Rabiopi of Kavre district.