NRA chief submitted his clarification to the govt

Kathmandu, Jan. 4: Chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Sushil Gyawali Wednesday furnished his clarification to the government in response to the questions raised by the latter.

Erstwhile KP Sharma Oli-led government had appointed Gyawali as the chief of the reconstruction body responsible for the post-quake reconstruction works.

Present government had sought clarification from the NRA chief for the second time as per the cabinet decision of 29^th December, claiming that the post-quake reconstruction works were not as per the expectations and set targets.

The cabinet meeting had decided to ask Gyawali to submit his replies within a week.

He was asked to provide clarification on poor coordination with the government agencies, his inability to mobilise required staff for the post-quake reconstruction, implement the instruction of the NRA Steering Committee, and delay in distributing house reconstruction grants to the quake-victims.

After submitting a letter about his clarification at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM), Gyawali said, "I have answered all the questions raised by the government within the stipulated time."

According to the OPMCM, he had claimed that the reconstruction body had completed all basic works that it should have finished in a year, and there were no basis or reasons to ask for any clarification.

According to the NRA, the first installment amount of the house reconstruction grant, Rs. 50,000, had been deposited in the bank account of 459,886 households, and the government has signed the grant agreements with 544,996 households.

After the government decided to raise the grant money to Rs. 300,000 on September last year, the NRA had submitted its action plan to the cabinet to increase the second and third installment amount to Rs. 150,000 and Rs. 100,000 from earlier Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 70,000 respectively.

The cabinet had approved the action plan on the very day it decided to ask clarification from the chief of the reconstruction body about the delay in distributing house reconstruction grant to the quake-victims.

Likewise, the Steering Committee meeting in the last week of October had directed the Ministry of General Administration to provide the required human resources within 15 days. But, the Ministry has not supplied the manpower required by the NRA so far.

Gyawali had been saying that the Ministry did not provide with the needed human resources despite multiple meetings and requests.

NRA said that the development partners concerned with the reconstruction drive had appreciated its efforts and termed the progress as 'satisfactory' while the NRA Steering Committee meeting led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on last September had said that the reconstruction body was successful to achieve satisfactory results.

According to the OPMCM, the letter tendered by Gyawali also mentioned the progress achieved in the reconstruction drive so far.

NRA said that construction of about 41,311 houses had been completed and 18,083 houses are under construction in the quake hit areas.