Kathmandu, March 8
President of the Non-Resident Nepalis’ Association Nepal, Shesh Ghale, recently met and talked with people of Laprak, a remote village in Gorkha that suffered massive damage in last year’s earthquakes, NRNA Secretariat in Kathmandu said in a press release on Tuesday.
Ghale is also Nepal government’s special envoy tasked with collecting foreign assistance for post-quake reconstruction work.
A team of Australian senators and executive member of the National Reconstruction Authority, Dr Chandra Bahadur Shrestha, among others, were accompanying him at Laprak.
Ghale said NRNA has taken initiatives for developing the quake-ravaged Laprak as a model village, in keeping with local people’s repeated requests.
The government aims to build 125 model settlements, Ghale said, adding that his organisation is ready to turn the quake-ravaged Laprak into a model settlement.
We have sought permission from the reconstruction authority for the same, Ghale said, adding: If the government gives permission, the NRNA will take the lead in turning other quake-ravaged settlements into model villages by taking other organisations along.
“Right after the quake, NRNA decided to build 1,000 houses and collected funds for the same. As part of this project, we are ready to develop Laprak as a model settlement,” NRNA President Ghale said. “We are ready to initiate construction work without delay, if the government grants us permission.”
NRNA will turn Laprak into a model village, he said, adding that reconstruction will be meaningful if the example of Laprak is replicated across the country. On the occasion, Ghale appealed local people not to leave their ancestral land, suggesting them to press for reconstruction work from where they are.
After the quakes, NRNA had provided emergency relief to the people of Laprak, a beautiful village with around 600 houses that turned into rubble in the disaster. These days, the displaced people are living on a highland by setting up tents.
On the occasion, locals complained: Neither the government builds houses nor does it allow us to do so. Because of this, we suffered a lot, especially during the winter.
Dr Shrestha said: Policy-making and other preparations have gained pace after formation of the reconstruction authority.
He said the government plans to develop Laprak as a model village.
The authority has already received an NRNA proposal on reconstruction of Laprak, Dr Shrestha said, pledging to push the proposal ahead as early as possible.
The Australian senators, in Nepal to study Nepal’s post-quake reconstruction needs, pledged to take the issue to the Australian Senate and help raise funds.
Dipak Khadka, Nepal’s consul general in New South Wales, Australia, and Ganesh KC, former president of NRNA (Australia), were also present at the programme.
