National
1,300 get accounts as NRA gears up for rebuilding aid
As part of its preparations to distribute reconstruction aid to earthquake survivors through the banking channel, the National Reconstruction Authority has started work in the quake-affected villages.As part of its preparations to distribute reconstruction aid to earthquake survivors through the banking channel, the National Reconstruction Authority has started work in the quake-affected villages.
With two commercial banks starting their branchless services in Singati on Thursday, around 1,300 earthquake survivors of Dolakha district opened their bank accounts.
A team of officials headed by NRA Executive Committee members Chandra Bahadur Shrestha and Dhruba Sharma discussed their plans with the district authorities in Dolakha from where the authority wants to provide aid for rebuilding homes.
“They discussed with officials in the district how aid distribution can be made effective. They will return after inspecting the status of local bodies, resource centres and the security situation,” said Authority Spokesperson Suresh Adhikari.
The authority was preparing to start aid distribution from Singati beginning on Friday but the programme was delayed by some bureaucratic hurdles and the
Nepali Congress general convention that started on Thursday. The NRA, which had been seeking participation of the representatives from all major parties in the process, backtracked on the plan after the NC member informed them about their difficulty in attending the function.
“We are discussing if we could delay aid distribution,” said NRA Spokesperson Adhikari. The NRA is for delaying the campaign by three-four days in view of the NC convention which will conclude on Sunday.
The reconstruction cash needs to be approved from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development and the District Development Committee before it is channelised to the concerned resource centre formed in every four to five village development committees.
The government has announced to provide Rs200,000 besides subsidised bank loan to each family rendered homeless in three phases after a detailed damage assessment. Of the total grant, Rs50,000 would be released in the first instalment, Rs80,000 in the second and Rs70,000 last, according to the NRA grant procedure guidelines.
Eleven months since the devastating quake hit the country, killing nearly 9,000 people and destroying hundreds of thousands of buildings across the country, reconstruction is yet to start at the local level. Dismayed by the delay in funds disbursement, locals have started in view of the upcoming rainy season.