The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is preparing to establish resource centres in 10 more earthquake-affected districts as part of its efforts to distribute housing reconstruction aid to victims of last year’s disaster. 

An aid agreement will be signed between quake-affected households and local bodies after resource centres are established in districts. This will pave the way to distribute government aid to the victims for rebuilding their homes. 

The authority, which has established the first resource centre in Singati of Dolakha district as a pilot project, wants to expand such resource centres immediately in other districts. “Except for the three districts in Kathmandu Valley, we are preparing to establish at least a resource centre in the remaining districts worst-affected by the earthquakes,” said NRA Spokesperson Ram Prasad Thapaliya, adding that the government will distribute housing reconstruction aid to quake survivors rendered homeless, once aid agreements are signed between the victims and local authorities. 

The NRA has summoned the Chief District Officer, Local Development Officers in Kathmandu to enquire about preparations for reconstruction at ground level in relation to establishing resource centres in the districts. Along with the CDOs and LDOs, secretaries of concerned ministries and focal person at the ministry’s central project implementation unit will attend a ‘high level consultative meeting’ where NRA Chief Executive Sushil Gyewali is said to discuss ways to expedite reconstruction works at the local level. 

“Authority wants to begin expanding resource centre in the remaining districts from April 13,” said Thapaliya. 

With the detailed damaged assessment nearing its completion, the NRA believes opening resource centres in 10 districts will not be a problem. The government is conducting a detailed damaged assessment of quake-destroyed houses and other structures in Dolakha, Rasuwa, Gorkha, Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot, Ramechhap, Makawanpur, Okhaldhunga, Sindhuli, Dhading and Kavre districts following reports of discrepancies about their numbers during previous surveys.  

As for the districts in the Valley, the authority has set a target to cover all the 14 worst-hit districts by April 24 when the country marks the first anniversary of the Gorkha Earthquake. It has yet to formulate criteria for providing housing reconstruction for quake victims in the Valley, though.