Kathmandu, May 2

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has formed a working committee to study and recommend ways to preserve and manage Kathmandu Valley’s ancient, indigenous settlements and their heritage.

The 62nd meeting of the NRA’s executive committee under the chairmanship of its Chief Executive Officer Govinda Raj Pokharel has asked the working committee to submit recommendations to preserve and manage ancient, indigenous settlements and their heritage in Sankhu, Khokana and Bungmati. NRA Executive Committee Member Dhruba Prasad Sharma has been assigned the responsibility to coordinate the working committee and has also been entrusted with the task of carrying out the necessary study and submitting a report within 15 days.

The meeting also decided to ask the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation to provide 1,766 ropanis of forest land in Laprak VDC in order to build public structures as per the ‘Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Quake Survivors Working Procedure 2073’, said NRA Spokesperson Yam Lal Bhoosal.

The land will be used to build a secondary school, a hospital, a health post, a monastery, a water tank, a rural municipality building and a police post.

The meeting also decided to proceed with grant agreements in Haku, Sano Haku, Thulo Haku, Hakubesi and Sabik Lantang village development committees (VDCs) in Gorkha as per the report of a committee formed under Sharma’s chairmanship.

The grant agreement was stalled earlier as a geological study following the 2015 earthquake had shown that the region was risky for human habitation. However, a comprehensive study later found the area to be habitable, allowing the NRA to initiate the agreement to provide individual grants.