PIUs working in reconstruction come under NRA

Kathmandu, Mar. 5: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has made a significant change in its organisational structure and has brought the Central and District Level Project Implementation Units under its own administration.

The new administrative structure will come into effect from April 12.

The reconstruction body said that the change was made to further expedite post-earthquake reconstruction activities in an effective manner.

It will also help in creating better coordination and cooperation in reconstruction works.

At present, the PIUs are under the respective line ministries, and though they were actively involved in post-quake rebuilding, they were directly responsible to their own ministries.

Since the government has to adjust the organisational structure at various levels within the new federal structure and with the majority of district level offices closing down from April 11 as per the local Government Management Act 2074, the government decided to place the Central and District Level Project Implementation Units under the NRA.

“The NRA Steering Committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli on Tuesday approved the proposed re-adjustment in the organisational structure and decided to bring it into implementation from April 12,” said Chief Executive Officer of NRA Yuba Raj Bhusal.

The meeting also directed the line ministries that are providing relevant services in coordination with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to immediately appoint officials as demanded by the re-adjusted organisational structure.

According to NRA spokesperson Yam Lal Bhoosal, with the new organisational structure, there will be three different district project implementation unit offices to handle the reconstruction activities.

The Grant Management and Local Infrastructure Office will distribute the grant and reconstruct the local infrastructure, Education Office will take care of rebuilding educational institutions while the Building Unit will be in charge of reconstructing private housing and public buildings.

With the implementation of the new structure, the total number of government officials working in reconstruction will go down to 4,655 from the present 4,870.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 6 April 2018.