On behalf of the Indian Government, Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri on Friday presented a cheque of Rs 2.1 billion to the Ministry of Finance Secretary Dr Rajan Khanal.

The amount presented by the Government of India to Nepal, at the event held at the Finance Ministry, reimburses the first tranche of private housing reconstruction grant given to 42,086 earthquake-affected beneficiaries in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts.

The victims of the earthquake will receive their amounts directly and the rest of the money would follow in tranches, the Indian Embassy said in a statement today.

In a statement released today by the Finance Ministry, the Government of Nepal thanked the Government of India for providing generous humanitarian support to the post-earthquake housing reconstruction.

The statement mentioned the prompt support given by India during the search and rescue operation in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015.

India, during the international conference on Nepal’s reconstruction had pledged US $ 1 billion aid and soft loan. India had announced the largest amount in aid-NRs 100 billion (US $1 billion) for Nepal’s post-earthquake reconstruction. One fourth of the amount comes as grant assistance.

Nepal and India, on February 20, 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for US$ 100 million grant to support reconstruction of 50,000 private houses in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts in Nepal.

Later, in September 2016, both the countries agreed to use an additional amount of US$ 50 million from the

US$ 750 Line of Credit towards payment of the third tranche of housing grant to 50,000 housing beneficiaries supported by the Government of India.

Talks are on with Government of Nepal for using the Indian soft loan in large infrastructure projects in Nepal.

Since March 2018, the Government of India partners with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to provide Socio-Technical Facilitation to housing beneficiaries in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts to help homeowners ensure their homes comply with Government of Nepal’s earthquake resilient norms.

India remains committed to continue supporting the people and Government of Nepal in their full recovery from the 2015 devastating earthquakes, the Indian Embassy statement said.