House grant distributed to 6434 households

Kathmandu, June 28: The government has distributed the first installment of the house reconstruction grant of Rs. 50,000 to 6,434 households in 5 districts.

According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD), the first installment has been deposited into the bank account of 4,049 households in Gorkha and 1,237 families in Dolakha districts.

Similarly, 705 families in Rasuwa, 441 in Okhaldhunga and 2 in Sindhupalchowk received the grant.

The government has signed the housing grant agreement with as many as 163,985 households in 11 out of 14 severely affected districts.

According to the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), household damage survey in the 11 severely hit districts was completed while the programme would be implemented in the Kathmandu Valley and other 17 districts at the earliest.

NRA CEO Sushil Gyawali informed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday that survey in the Valley would be carried out as per the verification model so as to complete it on time.

The NRA had signed separate Memorandum of Understandings with the Nepal Bankers Association, Development Bankers Association and Financial Institution Association while it forged agreements with 59 bank and financial institutions to distribute the house grant efficiently.

In order to obtain the grant money, the quake victims need not open bank accounts themselves.

Instead, their account will be created by the respective banks as per the details provided by the NRA and they can withdraw the money just by producing their citizenship and housing grant agreement certificate issued by the reconstruction body.

Meanwhile, the government has received as many as 82,864 complaints from the people whose houses were damaged in the tremors but were not included in the beneficiary list which deprived them of the facilities the quake-victims are entitled to.

However, NRA CEO Gyawali has informed that every house that was damaged in the tremors would get the grant money. The government has already announced to provide Rs. 50,000, as maintenance cost, to those whose house was partially damaged.