Kathmandu, September 24

The government has managed funds to distribute additional Rs 100,000 grant for 50,000 households of quake survivors listed as beneficiaries during the survey conducted by National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) after its pledge to increase the grant amount.

There are over 500,000 beneficiary households in the 11 quake-affected districts outside Kathmandu Valley. However, the government has been able to ensure funds for additional grant amount for only 50,000 households till date.

The government is preparing to mobilise the government of India’s line of credit facility to extend additional Rs 100,000 to quake-affected households.

The government of India had agreed to Nepal’s proposal to mobilise Rs five billion as housing reconstruction grant during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s recent visit to India, according to Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak.

“We will seek funds from other development partners and mobilise its own resources too to distribute pledged amount,” Lekhak told The Himalayan Times.

The government recently announced to increase the grant amount to provide interest free and subsidised credit to the quake survivors to build quake-resilient houses in the quake-affected districts.

Around 400,000 households in the 11 quake-affected districts outside Kathmandu Valley have already received the first instalment of government relief of Rs 50,000, which amounts to over 70 per cent of the total beneficiaries outside the Valley.