National
PM asks authorities to release first tranche by mid-Sept
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed concerned ministries and agencies working on post-earthquake reconstruction to increase their workforce to ensure the distribution of the first tranche of private housing grant of Rs 200,000 before mid-September.Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed concerned ministries and agencies working on post-earthquake reconstruction to increase their workforce to ensure the distribution of the first tranche of private housing grant of Rs 200,000 before mid-September.
The fresh directive follows PM Dahal’s pledge on August 4, the day he assumed office, to distribute the first tranche of the housing aid within 45 days.
“The prime minister has drawn attention [of the all concerned) to the delays in reconstruction efforts in quake-affected districts and has called for necessary measures to ensure the distribution of the first installment of the grant within the given timeframe,” said Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
During a meeting with the concerned ministries and the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) on Tuesday, PM Dahal instructed the officials to hire human resources on contract for three-four months and release the aid to the affected families at the earliest, according to officials.
As per PM Dahal’s instructions, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development on Wednesday directed local bodies in the 11 districts most affected by the quake to expedite efforts to provide the first tranche of the grant to affected families by mid-September. Village Development Committee secretaries in the 11 districts have been asked to stay in their workplaces so that the beneficiaries do not have to face hassles while signing aid agreements. Of the total of 317,693 households that have signed aid agreements in 12 districts for private housing rebuilding aid, a total of 42,882 have received the first installment until Wednesday.