The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has called on stakeholders to ease the process of providing grant to the Gorkha Earthquake survivors.

At a meeting attended by officials from the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Nepal Bankers’ Association and financial institutions involved in the process, the NRA Chief Executive Yubaraj Bhusal said the authority was open to facilitating stakeholders in carrying out the reconstruction drive if necessary.

Stakeholders also agreed to set up a mechanism wherein the District Level Project Implementation Unit (DLPIU) of respective districts will notify the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, NRA, Central Level Project Implementation Unit (CLPIU) and NBA, at once, if beneficiaries encounter problems with grant distribution.

“NRA has set deadlines to expedite housing reconstruction. The banking sector can help expedite pace to reconstruction efforts by distributing housing grant on time,” NRA statement quoted Bhusal as saying at the meeting.

The reconstruction body had designated specific time for obtaining grant for the reconstruction of private homes in the third week of July. According to the NRA, quake survivors of 31 districts should obtain the grant by mid-July 2018.

During the meeting, central bank Deputy Director Matrika Prasad Paudel requested banks to ease distribution process by setting up a separate desk for that purpose for a few months, if required.

NBA Secretary Anil Sharma assured that circulars would be sent out to the banks concerned as per the need to address problems concerning the housing grant.

NRA Spokesperson Yam Lal Bhusal said the meeting was called following complaints from some of the places over problems related to grant distribution. “Banking channel has really helped distributing grant in transparent and hassle-free manner. The meeting was called to ensure smooth distribution of grant to quake survivors,” Bhusal said.  

According to NRA data, 689,559 households have received the first tranche of government aid, with 318,006 collecting the second instalment and 85,468 the third. The authority has surveyed 996,582 households of which 767,705 are eligible to obtain the housing reconstruction aid.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, the government decided to provide Rs200,000 per household in private housing rebuilding aid, which was later increased to Rs300,000 to be distributed in three instalments—Rs 50,000, Rs 150,000 and Rs 100,000.