NRA recommends fund for repair of partially quake-damaged houses

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has decided to recommend the Council of Ministers to provide Rs 50,000 for the repair, maintenance and retrofitting of houses that were partially damaged in the earthquakes of last year. A meeting of NRA’s steering committee on Friday made a decision to carry out required amendment to Private Houses Grant Procedures for the provision of this amount. The procedures already have the provision of providing Rs 200,000 for the houses that were completely ravaged and need to be pulled down and rebuilt. Likewise, the meeting decided to develop model integrated and planned settlements by relocating the at-risk settlements, the NRA said in a statement. Moreover, the meeting decided to speed up the distribution of the grants by putting in place mobile banking services. A decision has also been made to provide the house grants by ensuring that none of the house-owners who are eligible for the earthquake survivor grants is left out and those not falling under the parameter end up getting the grants. The NRA also passed an action plan which mentions about providing training to at least 30,000 masons at the village level within four months, forming the Reconstruction Community Committee in every village and settlement, and providing technical support to the locals in the reconstruction works by establishing a resource centre each in every election constituency in the worst affected districts. The meeting likewise took a decision to conclude the reconstruction of the Ranipokhari before the Bhai Tika festival in November, to immediately start the survey works in the 17 earthquake-affected districts, including the Kathmandu Valley, and to provide Rs 200,000 to the families to be affected by the Budhigandaki Hydroelectricity Project for construction of temporary houses. Source: The Himalayan Times