Following complaints from locals that fake victims have been pocketing state coffers, the DAO has instructed police to look into the matter and take action against them if necessary. “After we received more than 100 complaints concerning fake quake victims collecting relief by producing fake documents the police have been involved,” said Dhading Chief District Officer Basu Dev Ghimire.

Once police started raiding villages for fake victims, a few have returned the cash relief to the local administration. “The number of locals returning relief however is nominal,” said Ghimire.

In Dhading, the DAO claimed that the number of households increased by 23 percent from a recent household survey, following the earthquake. As many as 73,000 households were recorded when the government conducted a census in 2011. This time around, 91,000 households have filed applications demanding relief. Among them, 81,000 households have mentioned that their houses were completely destroyed while the remaining are identified as partially damaged.

In Kavre, over 50 fake quake victims are under scrutiny. “The investigation is underway and they will face action if accusations filed against them are proved,” stated Kavre CDO Sudarshan Dhakal.

The government has announced to provide Rs 200,000 each to household rendered homeless by the earthquake and Rs 15,000 immediate aid to purchase zinc sheets or locally available construction materials for temporary shelters. Lured by the package, people living outside their home district for long have also returned and those living in joint families have also separated in hope of collecting the cash relief.

The household number, according to the CDOs, has shot up significantly in all 14 severely-affected districts. The dramatic surge in number had put local administration offices in quandary while distributing relief.

Backed by local politicians, families with no notable damage have also applied for cash relief. The number of households seeking help has surpassed the number ascertained by the national census and local household surveys. The mismatch had stalled relief works in several districts. Aid distribution has just begun in Nuwakot district due to similar discrepancies.

Nuwakot CDO Umesh Dhakal said relief distribution was delayed for more than two months due to the mismatch in the number of quake victims.

Both relief distribution and investigation into complaints over bogus victims are carried simultaneously.