NRA prepares to distribute housing grant to 171 thousand families

Kathmandu, June 15: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Wednesday informed that preparations were underway to deposit the first installment of the housing reconstruction grant to the bank account of at least 171,677 quake victims.

NRA Spokesperson Ram Prasad Thapaliya said that the reconstruction body had been planning to deposit the money to the bank account of the households which were clustered after being selected for the housing grant.

The government has decided to distribute the grant money, a purse of Rs. 200,000, in three installments – Rs. 50,000, Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 70,000.

The NRA has signed agreement with the umbrella association of commercial banks, development banks and financial institutions (BFIs) while it forged collaboration with 29 banks and financial institutions a couple of weeks ago.

A meeting with the BFIs at the NRA on Wednesday decided to cluster the quake affected households with an aim of mobilizing all banks and financial institutions.

It decided to direct the District Development Committees to send the details of households with whom housing grant agreement had been signed and the grant money to the BFIs at the earliest. After that, the money will be deposited into the account of the quake affected households, the NRA said in a press statement.

Less than 1 per cent households have received the grant money so far.

Approximately 1,237 households in Dolakha, 765 in Gorakha and 2 in Sindhupalchowk received the money.

Meanwhile, the government has forged housing grant agreement with 100,272 households by Tuesday.

According to the NRA, the agreement was signed between the house owners and secretary of the respective VDCs in 11 districts severely hit by the devastating earthquake in April and May last year.

Central Project Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development informed that the agreement was signed with 17,668 households in Gorkha, 4,824 in Dhading, 1,588 in Nuwakot and 1,100 in Rasuwa.

Similarly, agreement was signed with 1,475 families in Kavre, 16,200 in Dolakha, 35,000 in Ramechhap, 14,200 in Okhaldhunga, 1,100 in Sindhuli and 75 in Makwanpur district.