Kathmandu, May 9

Earthquake victims identified as beneficiaries through the beneficiary household survey commissioned by the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) will be able to obtain grant from ‘Class B’ and ‘Class C’ financial institutions to rebuild their homes. NRA has decided to disburse grant amount to the quake affected families from the branches of development banks and finance companies to accelerate the grant distribution process.

Earlier, only ‘Class A’ financial institutions or commercial banks were allowed to distribute grant. NRA, so far, has started grant distribution in some of the quake-hit districts. Apart from those affected in the three districts in the Valley, NRA has finalised the list of 300,925 beneficiaries in the quake-affected 11 districts and the list of the beneficiaries has been forwarded to the District Development Committee Office of the respective districts, according to Ram Prasad Thapaliya, spokesperson for NRA.

The beneficiaries will receive grant amount of Rs 200,000 in four instalments. At present, the quake victims have been receiving first instalment or 25 per cent (Rs 50,000) of the grant amount to start rebuilding their houses. NRA will disburse the remaining tranches in instalments of 30 per cent, 35 per cent and 10 per cent at different stages of house

construction.

District Treasury Controller Offices (DTCOs) will issue cheques of grant amount to the banks and financial institutions (BFIs), and Nepal Rastra Bank has been asked to ensure that the BFIs have deposited the fund in the bank account of the beneficiary within seven days from the date in which the cheques are issued from the DTCO.

NRA aims to serve 50 individuals from the BFIs branches in the district headquarters and 20 individuals outside the headquarters each day. The grant amount should mandatorily be channelised through the bank accounts to ensure transparency.

Transitional shelters from May 20

KATHMANDU: A meeting of the National Reconstruction Authority, Urban Development Ministry, Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Ministry of Home Affairs and security bodies, on Monday, decided to build transitional shelters for the quake victims living under the tents and tarpaulin sheets eyeing the nearing monsoon season. It has been proposed that the shelters be built for the survivors in coordination with Central Disaster Relief Committee and the chief district officer-led District Disaster Relief Committee. The transitional shelters, to be built before the onset of monsoon season, will have lifespan of few years. Transitional shelters will be built in secured areas. Many families have been shifted to more secured locations as the landslides and sink holes affected the areas where they were living earlier. The government will provide the land for collective settlement development for the landless people living in tents and tarpaulin sheets. The shelters will be built using the local construction materials by local masons, volunteers and security personals. The transitional shelter development work will be initiated from May 20.