Half of the quake-hit families receive second tranche of grant

Kathmandu, July 12: Only about half of the 807,486 quake-affected families have received the second installation of the house reconstruction grant.

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) had asked all the quake-affected families to collect the second tranche of the house reconstruction grant by the end of the current Fiscal Year 2017/18.

And only four days are left before this fiscal year ends.

As per the government policy, the quake beneficiaries should claim the grant money within the stipulated time, otherwise they might be deprived of the facility while it is impossible to distribute the money to about 350,000 families in the remaining four days.

Approximately 478,478 households have applied for the second installation of the grant and 449,338 have received the money.

The reconstruction body has already extended the deadline to receive the second installation of Rs. 150,000 by three months from mid-April this year to July 16, and there are fewer chances to extend the deadline for the second time, according to NRA sources.

However, deputy spokesperson of the NRA Manohar Ghimire said that the beneficiaries with genuine excuses would be considered for the remaining second and third installations of the grant.

But the reconstruction body does not have its chief executive to make decisions to such effect. The government through a Cabinet decision had nullified all the government appointments made from August 30, 2017 to February 15, 2018, which also sent the NRA’s CEO home.

“We need to make a policy decision to have a say on the situation. But currently, we don’t have the NRA chief to make such a decision,” said Ghimire.

He said that the actual number of genuine beneficiaries could increase by 150,000.

“There are very few families that do not have a shelter. Many who have not come to claim the second tranche have their shelter in other places, therefore, we have estimated that about 100,000 to 150,000 families are lagging behind in the reconstruction drive,” he said.

He gave assurances that the genuine victims would be facilitated in receiving the grant money through alternative ways.

Meanwhile, the NRA said that more than 200,000 quake-affected families have received the entire purse of the grant.

“About 208,043 households have received the third tranche of the housing grant.

Approximately 234,942 families have been approved for the final installment of the grant,” said a statement issued by the reconstruction body.

Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk have the largest number of third installment recipients at 330,582 families and 300,444 families respectively. 

Reconstruction statistics:

Topic	Number
Surveyed household	996,582
Beneficiaries	807,486
Grant agreement	721,296
First instalment recipient	712,994
Second instalment recipient	449,338
Second instalment applicant	478,478
Third instalment recipient	208,043
House construction completed	239,073
Houses under construction	509,411

Source: NRA

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 13 july 2018.