The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is planning to employ technical expertise of the Nepal Army (NA) and the Armed Police Force (APF) to expedite reconstruction work, particularly for rebuilding of private houses for which the quake survivors have started received the second tranche of aid. 

NRA representatives led by Chief Executive Officer Govind Raj Pokharel and NA officials are set to hold a meeting on Friday to discuss possible partnership to mobilise technical human resource of the Army. 

The NRA is also holding a meeting with the APF on Wednesday. 

We are seeking support from the security bodies that have better technical know-how when it comes to mobilising resources in large-scale projects, said Bhisma Kumar Dahal, deputy spokesperson for the NRA. “As we have already started releasing the second instalment of housing aid to the needy, we will need additional human resources to complete the task, especially in those districts where we falls short of human resources,” he said. 

The beneficiaries, who have already received Rs 50,000 in the first phase, will get Rs 150,000 as the second tranche of the aid to build the houses that were destroyed by the quakes in 2015.

In the first phase, quake survivors of Gorkha, Sindhuli and Nuwakot have started receiving the second tranche of housing aid from Wednesday. 

The NRA has identified 626,026 households in 14 quake-affected districts as eligible for receiving housing aid of Rs 300,000. The third tranche of the aid—Rs 100,000—will be distributed later. 

Of the total beneficiaries identified in 14 districts, 548,363 have signed tripartite agreement for the aid and of them 473,813 have received the first installment as of Thursday. 

Lack of application forms halts aid distribution

Earthquake-affected families in Makwanpur are yet to receive the second tranche of private housing aid due to shortage of application forms in the NRA district office. 

The NRA on Wednesday started distributing the second instalment in 12 districts worst affected by the devastating earthquakes in 2015. The quake victims who have laid the foundation of the house being reconstructed are eligible for the second instalment of Rs150,000. 

However, the distribution of the second tranche of aid could not start in the district till Thursday due to the lack of application and recommendation forms. 

“The second instalment could not be distributed as there are not necessary documents. We have demanded the forms from the centre,” said Kisan Neupane, the planning officer at the District Development Committee (DDC) in Makwanpur. 

He assured that the second tranche of aid would be distributed as soon as the documents arrive there.