Kathmandu, February 6

A total of 720 households in various four quake-hit districts have received the second instalment of relief assistance, according to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development.

As many as 600 households in Makawanpur, 73 in Sindhuli, 41 in Gorkha and six in Nuwakot have received Rs 150,000 each, shared Ganeshraj Wasti, chief of Central Project Implementation Unit at the MoFALD. These families were rendered homeless by the April earthquake.

The incumbent government has pledged to increase the aid from Rs 200,000 to Rs 300,000 to each quake- affected households to help them rebuild their quake-damaged houses.

The NGOs working in tandem with the National Reconstruction Authority for the post-quake relief operation handed out the second trance of the relief aid, said Wasti.

According to him, more than 20,000 quake-hit households in 14 worst-affected districts have reached an agreement with the stakeholder NGOs in their respective areas to receive relief aid.

A total of Rs 11 billion was recently released by the government for distribution of the second instalment of housing grants to 7,300 beneficiaries in 14 worst-effected districts, including Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Okhaldhunga, Sindhuli, Kavrepalanchowk, Makawanpur and Gorkha.

Remaining grant amount — Rs 100,000 each — will be distributed on the recommendation of technicians deployed by the Ministry of Urban Development in the sites where quake-survivors are rebuilding their houses.