NRA seeks help of local representatives in distributing grant

Kathmandu, June 21: As a remedy to the sluggish distribution of the house reconstruction grant to the families who lost their home in the devastating Gorkha Earthquake 2015, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has sought help from the recently elected representatives of the local units.

The reconstruction body Wednesday appealed to the local units to facilitate the grant distribution so that the beneficiaries receive the second installment of the grant, Rs. 150,000.

"The NRA has sought help from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development in mobilizing the local representatives in all quake-affected districts to facilitate people in reconstruction. It has sent a circular to the ministry for the same," the NRA said in a statement.

A meeting of the NRA Executive Committee had decided to send circulars to all rural municipalities, municipalities, sub-metro and metropolitan cities, as well as the District Coordination Committee (DCC) of the districts where the election is yet to be held.

Deputy spokesperson of the NRA Dr. Bhishma Kumar Bhusal said that the reconstruction body had urged the local bodies to create an environment where the beneficiaries could claim the second tranche of the grant by the end of the current fiscal year, July 15.

According to him, the NRA has asked the local representatives to facilitate the quake-affected families, who received the first installation of the grant money by mid-January this year, to complete their home up to the plinth level by July 15 so that they claim the second installment.

"Local body chiefs are requested to mobilise all ward officials and support in reconstruction and distribution of grant money. Similarly, representatives of the moderately-affected 17 districts are urged to facilitate in signing the grant agreement and distributing the first installment by July 15," read the circular addressed to the local body chiefs.

 Similarly, the reconstruction body has also asked the local bodies to sign grant agreement with the quake-affected families that were included in the beneficiaries list following the grievance hearing, and sending the document to the DCC, and facilitate in distributing grant money to them.

The NRA has distributed the second installment money to only 39,589 families and third installment to only 3,292 families while it is yet to sign the grant agreement with roughly 150,000 families.

More than 725,000 households, of the 900,000 houses damaged in the quake, were recognized eligible to receive the housing grant.

According to the NRA, as much as 28,222 houses were built in 14 severely hit-districts.