The government has distributed the first tranche of the housing reconstruction grant amounting to Rs50,000 to each of the 270,000 (over 50 percent on the list) households in 11 worst earthquake-affected districts as of Saturday.

More than 200,000 households received the grant since August 4, the day Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal pledged while assuming office to provide the aid to 531,964 households within 45 days.

A detailed assessment of the damage to the houses caused by the Gorkha earthquake last year in three districts of Kathmandu Valley is underway.

“We will complete the distribution of the first instalment of the private housing reconstruction aid to the deserving recipients in the next 15 days,” said Bhisma Kumar Bhusal, deputy spokesperson for the National Reconstruction Authority.

Following the prime minister’s directive, the NRA on August 15 launched a month-long special campaign for aid distribution. The government has signed tripartite grant agreements with 410,000 of the total 531,964 households eligible for aid. The agreement and distribution process is being carried out rigorously, added Bhusal.

The absence of proper documents required for opening bank accounts and for receiving the grant amount has been a hurdle for some of the listed beneficiaries. “However, we are trying to make sure all the eligible beneficiaries receive the first instalment by mid-September,” said Bhusal.

Post-earthquake reconstruction has been delayed by almost a year and a half. Even after the reconstruction campaign kicked off in April this year, the process of signing agreements and distribution of aid moved at a snail’s pace.