Kathmandu, September 1

The government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland through the Department for International Development (DFID) has agreed to provide a grant assistance of £71.5 million (approximately Rs 10.10 billion) to Nepal government for implementation of UK (DFID) Support to Post Earthquake Reconstruction in Nepal.

The grant agreement was signed and exchanged by Baikuntha Aryal, chief and joint secretary at International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division (IECCD), Ministry of Finance and Gail Marzetti, health of DFID Nepal on behalf of their respective governments.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara and British Minister of State for DFID Roderick James Nugent Stewart were also present on the occasion.

The aim of the programme is to benefit all those living in quake affected districts, particularly one million people residing in four programme implemented districts — Dhading, Gorkha, Nuwakot and Rasuwa.

The programme includes building over 400 km rural roads and trails, to provide over 250,000 people with improved water and sanitation, reach 90,000 of most vulnerable with cash transfers, among others.

The assistance pledged today is in addition to £70 million pledged as humanitarian and early recovery funds by the UK government during the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction.