The Directive Committee of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has come up with a time-bound action plan to complete the reconstruction works within two years.

The meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar on Sunday also decided to appeal all the political parties, civil societies and social organisations to help form reconstruction community committees in all the VDCs and municipalities.

Alternative settlements would be managed after identifying settlements at risks, it was decided, and the authority would prepare a broader master plan for the reconstruction of the archaeologically important areas.

Presenting the work plan at the meeting, NRA CEO Sushil Gyewali said the authority would deploy 100 volunteers to each of the affected VDCs; sign agreements with quake victims in Kathmandu Valley within 10 days; complete distribution of the first instalment by January 28, 2017.

The meeting endorsed the time-bound action plan of the NRA to be accomplished by different ministries that include individual houses, educational institutions, integrated settlements, national heritage sites and health institutions.

Afterwards, terming Sunday’s meeting as a milestone, Gyewali said that the action plan was made in such a way that all the reconstruction works would be completed within the next two years and that the Finance Ministry had been directed to manage necessary funds on time.

Except the concrete buildings which would take longer to build, all other houses in the rural areas would be constructed within the next two years with the help of engineers of the VDCs and municipalities in consultation with the local communities as per the government’s revised policy and programmes.

On developing integrated settlements, it was decided at the meeting that the government would manage the infrastructure and encourage the local people to build settlements.

The distribution of the second tranche of the reconstruction aid amounting to Rs 150,000 will start as soon as the government endorses the workplan which has already been presented to the Cabinet, according to the NRA.