80 pc budget spent on war victims

Kathmandu, July 24

War victims of the insurgency period received Rs 500,000 increment relief amount this fiscal. Along with increment from Rs 500,000 to 1 million, decided by the Cabinet last month, the amount was rapidly distributed to war victims. Earlier, it was decided that the victims would be provided only Rs 500,000.

After the decision, 80 per cent budget of the Peace and Reconstruction Ministry was spent on relief amount for war victims this fiscal.

According to the Durga Prasad Bhurtel, information Officer at Peace and Reconstruction Ministry, the Cabinet decided that the relief amount for victims should be increased to one million. Soon after the decision, we distributed the amount to the concern district in which 80 per cent budget were spent while 20 per cent remains from the total amount. “This year we distributed Rs 7,363,389,739 from the total amount of Rs 9,016,515,300. Only Rs. 1,653,125,561 relief amount was frozen.

The amount was frozen due to social or technical problems. We have tried to distribute the entire amount to the people as per the availability of the fund earlier,” he said. In Kathmandu, 54 per cent amount was spent from the total 600 million rupees while Lalitpur spent 61 per cent. Bhaktapur has spent 98 per cent from the total amount of Rs 154,893,600 distributed in the district.

Due to reasons such as lack of documents, family members, unavailability of members of victims’ family because of brain drain etc, the ministry was able to spent only 80 per cent. “The target and the mission of the ministry will soon be completed after it finishes construction of damaged physical structures,” he informed.