NRA approves five integrated settlement plans

Kathmandu, Aug. 22: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has approved the preliminary plan to develop five integrated settlements in Sindhupalchowk, Ramechhap and Kavrepalanchowk districts.

About 181 houses will be built in the new settlements.

First meeting of the NRA Executive Committee after the appointment of Sushil Gyawali as its Chief Executive Officer has given a positive nod for the integrated settlements as post-quake reconstruction initiative.

The reconstruction body has approved Norbuling Integrated Settlement Development Plan to be executed in Helambu Rural Municipality -2, Kharkhadanda of Sindhupalchowk where 40 houses will be built.

Similarly, the NRA approved integrated settlements with 70 and 10 households respectively at Namdolaling of Melamchi Municipality – 12 and Tyangthali of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality – 5 of Sindhupalchowk.

Other two settlements will be developed in Majhi Basti of Manthali Municipality in Ramechhap and Tin Dhara of Mandan Deupur Municipality in Kavrepalanchowk. There will be 24 houses in Majhi Basti and 37 houses in Tin Dhara.

The reconstruction body has announced a couple of years ago that the settlements that are at the risks of quake-induced landslides would be relocated to safe locations.

The families that need to be relocated get additional Rs. 200,000 to buy land at new locations. They are also entitled of the house reconstruction grant of Rs. 300,000.

The meeting on Wednesday has also approved the posting of employees for the Central Level Programme Implementation Units under the NRA – 463 employees will go to CLPIU (Education), 3250 to House, and 704 to Grant Management and Local Infrastructure sector.

It has also decided to ask the chief of the local bodies of chief administrative officers to verify whether the families that registered compliant demanding the house grant actually have another house.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 August 2018.