Reconstruction of 12,000 homes begins

Kathmandu, Nov. 22

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Tuesday said that with the first installment of the house reconstruction grant, about 12,000 households in 11 worst quake-hit districts had begun the reconstruction of their houses. 

According to Central Programme Implementation Unit (CPIU) at the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), approximately 3,162 houses were being built in Nuwakot district.

Likewise, 2,143 households in Dhading, 1,583 in Sindhupalchowk, 1,214 in Dolakha and 1,124 in Gorkha are under construction.

Other districts where house reconstruction works have begun are Kavre, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Makwanpur, Okhaldhunga and Rasuwa.

Shiva Hari Sharma, CPIU chief at the MoUD, said that the government had begun to collect the data of houses being reconstructed with the assistance from the engineers mobilised in the quake-hit districts.

According to him, people had begun to apply for the second installment of the grant, Rs. 150,000, in Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Gorakha, Ramechhap, Makwanpur, Okhaldhunga and Rasuwa.

NRA spokesperson Ram Prasad Thapaliya said that as the reconstruction body had prepared the private house reconstruction manual, the engineers in the field could recommend for the amount of second installment. 

After the government’s announcement to increase the housing grant by Rs. 100,000, the families that lost their house in the tremors will receive the money in three installments - Rs. 50,000, Rs. 150,000 and Rs. 100,000.

The second installment amount will be deposited in the bank account of the beneficiary, after they complete the house construction up to the plinth.

According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, the government signed grant agreement with 470,524 households of worst hit 11 districts and deposited the first installment of the grant in the bank accounts of 432,738 families.