RAMECHHAP, DECEMBER 8 Of the contracts signed for the government-provided grant to build new homes for earthquake victims, 41,971 homes have been constructed so far in Ramechhap. As per official data, 48,497 quake-affected families had signed contracts with the government seeking home construction grants in the district. While 41,971 families of victims have finished building their homes and claimed all three instalments of the grant, 6,526 victims haven’t started the construction process yet. It’s important to note that the government has published an obligatory notice for grant beneficiaries to claim the first grant instalment by mid-January. Despite the notice, some victims don’t seem interested in starting the construction process. In some cases, lack of workers, transportation problems and the likes appear to be causing problems, in others, they are reluctant to start work as they feel the grant money is too less to construct a house. Similarly, of the 7,840 families of victims who had applied for retrofitting quake-hit homes, 6,045 families have signed the contract for the same. Meanwhile, locals complained about irregularities in providing housing grants in the district. “Those who had links received grants easily, in some cases double and triple the amount, while ordinary folks haven’t received even a single instalment,” they said.