National
6,736 families ‘ineligible’ for house rebuilding grant
The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has completed re-survey of 25,314 households impacted by the 2015 earthquakes. The authority mandated to carry out post earthquake reconstruction has said it has identified 6,736 households as ineligible for rebuilding grants.The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has completed re-survey of 25,314 households impacted by the 2015 earthquakes. The authority mandated to carry out post earthquake reconstruction has said it has identified 6,736 households as ineligible for rebuilding grants.
The study, however, has validated complaints filed by 18,578 households, giving them the status of beneficiaries. In the immediate aftermath of the Gorkha Earthquake, the government had decided to provide Rs200,000 for each household in rebuilding aid.
It was later increased to Rs300,000 to be distributed in three instalments of Rs50,000, Rs150,000 and Rs100,000 to ensure that the quake survivors rebuild quake-resilient homes in line with the standards and designs specified by the government. The government had decided to release Rs100,000 for retrofitting structures in the 14 districts worst hit by the earthquake.
The NRA re-conducted the survey after complaints from several districts that they were not listed as beneficiaries despite complying with the government’s parameters. Issuing a public notice on Saturday, the authority said it had completed re-surveys in 57 local units of 12 districts. Apart from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, the authority conducted surveys in Dhading, Dolakha, Kavrepalanchok, Okhaldhunga, Sindhupa-lchok, Gorkha, Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Ramechhap districts.
“One can seek review of decisions via District Level Project Implementation Units within 35 days if they don’t agree with the decision,” the NRA notice reads.According to NRA Information Officer Manohar Ghimire, 332 engineers were deployed from mid-August 2017 to mid-December 2017 for the new round of survey. As many as 130,000 households were re-examined, according to the authority.
Ghimire said the fresh survey had been time consuming since they had to identify real victims from among a large number of applicants.The NRA said it would conduct grant agreements with newly enlisted beneficiaries based on the recommendation of the local authorities.