NRA devolves authority to the sub-regional offices

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has devolved the authority of various works, including coordinating with the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to the sub-regional offices. The NRA stated that it has devolved the power to the sub-regional offices to make them more effective and functional. The NRA has set up its sub-regional offices at Gorkha, Dolakha, Kavrepalanchowk, Nuwakot, Kathmandu and Lalitpur for coordinating the reconstruction and rehabilitation works in the 14 hardest earthquake-hit districts. NRA Spokesperson Ram Prasad Thapaliya said that authority, including running the office and evaluation, approval and monitoring of project proposals received from the NGOs, has been devolved to the sub-regional offices. “The sub-regional offices have also been given the responsibility of preparing the district-wise particulars of the historical and cultural heritages and monuments, of determining the parameter of the programmes related to reconstruction and rehabilitation, of monitoring the quality and amending the district-level programmes, among others,” Thapaliya explained. The authority of conducting public hearing, public audit, social audit and third-party evaluation of the offices with the involvement of the partner organisations, the civil society and the local media has also been handed down to the sub-regional offices. The sub-regional offices have also been urged to send the daily and weekly reports of the shelter reconstruction works to the NRA central office through the fastest means possible. NRA Spokesperson Thapaliya stated that the authority of regularly making public the reconstruction activities carried out in the district, of systematising the information system, of collecting, analysing and addressing all types of grievances, of sending the unaddressed grievances to the NRA central office and of carrying out works maintaining coordination with the bodies concerned regarding the required security mechanism has also been devolved to the sub-regional offices. Source: The Himalayan Times