Public abuse of federal government largess goes on with impunity as revelations of around 2,000 fake earthquake victims in Gorkha district putting their hand up to receive reconstruction aid emerge.

Many earthquake victims whose names were not included in the housing reconstruction aid list had filled up complaint forms in the district around 10 months ago.

Around 12,322 quake-affected families had submitted complaint forms in the district. Of these, officials could not identify 1,992 families as genuine earthquake victims. The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) District Project Implementation Office believes the data of the fake quake victims is likely to increase as investigation progresses.

Project Implementation Office’s Non-gazetted First Class Officer Shiva Paudel said a committee formed in local wards has the authority to ascertain whether the victims are genuine or fake.

“Those families can even file complaints in the ward office again if they are dissatisfied,” said Paudel.

Technicians had surveyed quake-affected areas again from mid-August to mid-November of 2017. “We have addressed the complaints of quake victims from their local units,” said Paudel.

The earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 destroyed more than 60,000 houses. Around half of demolished houses have been rebuilt in Gorkha.