Kathmandu, February 29
The government is preparing to distribute grant for construction of houses to those, who lost their homes to last year’s quakes. The National Reconstruction Authority will start grants distribution from March 3.
Here are the details:
Distribution to begin from Singati
In the first phase, the government will provide Rs 50,000 to each family, which has lost home in the disasters.
Suresh Adhikari, spokesperson for the authority, said final preparations for grants distribution are on. Adhikari informed that grants distribution will begin from Singati (Dolakha district), which suffered massive losses in the April 25 mega quake.
Gradually, the authority will distribute the first installment of grants in Sindhupalchok and other affected districts. It is planning to distribute grants in such a way that the affected families will be able to return to their new homes before the oncoming rainy season.
The authority has asked the government to provide Rs 25 billion for distribution of the first installment of grants and related works.
Old IDs won’t do
The authority plans to distribute grants in 14 severely affected districts and 17 other districts, that suffered minor damage in the quakes, on priority basis. “We will distribute the grants in phases. The distribution will gradually begin in all districts from March 3. It will take around two months to complete the task in all districts,” Adhikari informed. District development committees concernd will coordinate with relief works and undertake management tasks. For this, camps will be set up in different places. The quake-affected people will have to get new identity cards to get the grants, old IDs will not work. This, because old data on the affected population are not “reliable”. Teams comprising engineers and other officials are currently collecting data on the houses that suffered damage in the disasters. On the bases of IDs, citizenship of houseowners and land ownership papers, the authority will hand over cheques bearing Rs 50,000 each.
Plan to mobilise teachers
In three phases, the government will provide grant of two lakh rupees to each affected family. In the second phase, it will distribute one lakh rupees and give away Rs 50,000 at the final phase.
The affected families can start rebuilding houses only after receiving technical assistance from the government and counselling services. DDC employees, VDC secretaries and technicians will mobilise for relief distribution.
“We are yet to take a final call on management of the whole process. There’s a plan to mobilise teachers too for grants distribution. We will make an appropriate decision after studying the whole picture,” Adhikari said.
