KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 5

In the first four months of the current fiscal year, reconstruction of a total of 46,870 private houses has been completed.

According to the Nepal Reconstruction Authority (NRA), during the fourmonth period, reconstruction of 27 schools and 12 heritage sites were also completed.

Among others, the construction of Dharahara has been completed till 19th storey and is still going on NRA has further committed to complete the remaining reconstruction works within the set timeframe. As per NRA, 6,600 service-seekers have withdrawn their second instalment of grant amount in the last four months. Similarly, during the same period, 685 reinforcement service-seekers signed an agreement with NRA, of which, 450 took their first instalment worth Rs 50,000.

Meanwhile, 110 more service-seekers were added during the review period, while a total of 1,350 service-seekers signed the grant agreement.

During this period, a total of Rs 7.84 billion was spent for the reconstruction activities.

Sushil Gyewali, chief executive officer of NRA, said that the remaining works will be completed within next seven-and-a-half months. “We will complete the reconstruction works within the given timeframe,” he said, “Service-seekers of private houses will be contacted to take their final instalments immediately.”

The Cabinet meeting held on November 30 decided to extend the tenure of NRA to complete the reconstruction works by a year. Otherwise, the NRA was supposed to wrap up all its activities by December 25. The extension of deadline means it will end on December 25, 2021.

Over the next seven-anda-half months, the NRA will complete the reconstruction activities while in the remaining five-and-a-half months, the authority will work on documentation of the reconstruction activities.

Amid this, NRA has permitted a total of 1,448 homeless to construct house at a place where they are residing currently while NRA has also decided to provide a grant worth Rs 200,000 each to purchase land to 77 homeless people.