Kavre, March 12

Thousands of earthquake victim families in Kavre district are all set to receive the government-allocated cash relief meant for warm clothes with the beginning of summer season.

Although the government had pledged to provide Rs 10,000 each to the quake victim families to buy warm clothes some three months ago, the families of three municipalities and two VDCs of the district have yet to receive the amount. Kavre District Administration Office is all set to distribute the relief amount to around 17,667 victim families in Panchkhal, Banepa and Panauti municipalities as well as Gairibisauna Deupur and Tukuchha Nala VDCs by next week.

Sources at the DAO informed that the government had released the relief amount of around Rs 179.97 million through the Ministry of Home Affairs for the quake victim families of Kavre a few days ago. A quake victim, Nirmala Dhungana of Panchkhal Municipality, lamented that it was unfair on the part of government to distribute winter relief when summer had already begun.

According to the DAO, the office had released Rs 15 million to the quake victims of Panchkhal Municipality and Gauribisauna Deupur VDC as of yesterday. Basudev Bhetwal, an official at Panchkhal Municipality, said, “We will distribute the relief amount from tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Bhim Raj Pokhrel, accountant at the DAO, said the victims of the VDCs and municipalities would receive the amount by next week. DAO sources said around Rs 46.10 million was allocated to Panauti Municipality, Rs 15.08 million to Banepa Municipality and Rs 11.89 million to Tukuchha Nala VDC. “The concerned local bodies have yet to collect the amount,” the sources informed.

Chief District Officer of Kavre, Bal Krishna Panthi, said the winter relief was delayed due the delay in the release of the amount by MoHA. “We will distribute the amount soon as the amount has reached the district,” he informed.

As many as 83,953 houses were completely damaged in earthquakes last year in Kavre. Earlier, Kavre DAO had distributed Rs 10,000 each to 66,286 quake victims of Dhulikhel and Dapcha Kashikhanda Municipalities and 73 VDCs.