Growing complaints about dereliction of duty by its technical staff has prompted the National Reconstruction Authority to issue a public notice that warns legal action against errant workers.    

A number of engineers hired by the NRA to assess the reconstruction works and building retrofitting in different parts of the country have been accused of abandoning their project sites as they continue to receive salaries and allowances  from the centre. Stating that these delinquencies have affected the progress of post-earthquake recovery works, the NRA has resolved to take legal action against those workers who are caught shrugging off their duties.

“We have come to learn that technical staffers engaged in sensitive task of assessing the situation of quake-affected homes have been attending classes as student in academic institutions. The NRA has decided to recommend name of such staffers to the authorities concerned to take necessary action,” the notice reads.

NRA Chief Executive Officer Sushil Gyewali said the authority came up with the decision in line with the complaints received from several parts of the country.

 “We have notified the stakeholders about our decision. We have also started investigation into the issue,” Gyewali said, adding that the rebuilding agency was also planning to introduce a number of measures to ensure that the NRA staff performed their duties diligently.  

Compulsory attendance system, regular submission of photos of assessed homes and on-field monitoring of workers are some of the measures that the NRA could employ to curb staff truancy and dereliction of duty.

Assessment of rebuilding process is among the major issues that have prevented the earthquake survivors from receiving the government aid.