Govt to build houses for vulnerable people

Kathmandu, Apr. 5: The government is constructing about 18,505 houses for the vulnerable people, including the elderly, single women, orphans below 16 years of age and disabled people with red and blue cards – complete and with severe disability. 

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is mulling over multiple ways to build houses for them. 

Chief Executive Officer of the NRA Yuba Raj Bhusal said that the reconstruction body was in touch with various donor agencies, local governments and other stakeholders in order to provide shelter to the vulnerable people. 

According to NRA statistics, about 6,000 vulnerable households are constructing their houses with government grant, but more than 18,000 are elderly people and senior single women and can't build their houses themselves even with support from the government. 

There are 91 orphans below 16 years of age and 243 people with permanent or severe disability who are waiting for their houses to be built. 

"Therefore, the NRA is seeking ways to build their houses. The NRA Steering Committee recently approved the work procedure to construct houses for the vulnerable people, and we are now holding discussion with the donors and local governments," said Bhusal. 

But he said that there was no interaction with the private sector in this regard. 

Number of vulnerable households without houses

Nature of Vulnerability	Households
70+ elderly people	9,147
65+ single women	9,024
Orphans below 16 years of age	91
Disability with red and blue cards	243
Total	18,505

Source: NRA

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, in an NRA Steering Committee meeting on Tuesday, had directed the reconstruction body to give priority to rebuilding private houses and providing shelter to the vulnerable people like senior citizens, disabled and sick people, and pregnant women. 

The NRA recently held an interaction with the chairmen and mayors of the quake-affected local bodies and urged them to support in building houses for the vulnerable families in their respective units. 

Bhusal said that the best option would be the local governments as they were aware of the situation of the vulnerable people and also have their social obligation to fulfill.

They just need to build the houses, and the money will be provided by the NRA.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 6 April 2018.