About 100,000 household to get grant money in 17 districts

Kathmandu, May 2:

About 98,201 households of 17 districts, moderately hit by the devastating 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, are eligible to receive the house reconstruction grant of Rs. 300,000.

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Tuesday informed that it had concluded the damage survey in all the quake-hit areas, except for four VDCs.

The reconstruction body is about to finish the survey in all the quake-affected districts two years after the earthquake rocked the country and damaged more than 900,000 houses.

"The NRA Executive Committee meeting has approved the beneficiaries' list which includes quake-affected families from 754 municipalities and VDCs of 17 districts. However, due to avalanches, the survey has been delayed in 3 VDCs of Solukhumbu and 1 VDC of Lamjung district," said Chief Executive Officer of the reconstruction body Dr. Govinda Raj Pokharel.

According to Dr. Pokharel, grant agreements are being signed with the families listed as beneficiaries, and the first tranche of the grant is also being deposited in their bank accounts.

The survey has listed 1,036 families as being eligible for the grant in Arghakhanchi, 2,375 in Baglung, 5,749 in Bhojpur, 2,796 in Dhankuta, 4,144 in Gulmi, 6,026 in Kaski and 8,443 in Khotang.

Likewise, 13,519 families were listed as beneficiaries in Lamjung, 868 in Myagdi, 872 in Nawalparasi, 4,652 in Palpa, 5,269 in Parbat, 1,993 in Sankhuwasabha, 8,549 in Syangja, 7,335 in Chitwan, 10,794 in Solukhumbu and 13,821 in Tanahun, said Manohar Ghimire, chief of the Information Management and Communication Division at the NRA.

Meanwhile, the NRA has formed a working committee to study and recommend ways to preserve and manage Kathmandu’s ancient, indigenous settlements and their heritage.

The 62nd meeting of the NRA’s executive committee on Tuesday asked the working committee to submit recommendations to preserve and manage ancient, indigenous settlements and their heritage in Sankhu, Khokana and Bungamati.

NRA executive committee member Dhruba Prasad Sharma is coordinating the working committee and has been entrusted with the task of carrying out the necessary study and submitting a report within 15 days.

"The meeting of the executive committee also decided to provide forest land in Laprak of Gorkha in order to build public structures as per the Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Quake Survivors Working Procedure 2073,"  said NRA spokesperson Yam Lal Bhoosal.

The land will be used to build a school, hospital, health post, monastery, water tank, rural municipality building and a police post.