PM concerned about delay in reconstruction grant distribution

Kathmandu, September 22

Concerned about non-fulfillment of his pledge made to quake-affected households, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal discussed reconstruction issues with concerned government officials yesterday and today.

According to Acting Chief Secretary Tanka Mani Sharma, the PM discussed the issue with government officials, including Chief Executive Officer of National Reconstruction Authority Sushil Gyawali.

Sharma said the prime minister instructed the NRA to prepare its agenda for the meeting scheduled for Sunday. According to Sharma, the PM instructed officials to put all issues related to reconstruction, including NRA’s structure, its work plan and management on the agenda.

“All reconstruction issues will be reviewed at the meeting on Sunday,” Sharma added. Government sources said the PM was unhappy as his pledge to make available the first instalment of assistance to quake-affected households within 45 days was not fully implemented.

The PM had made this announcement immediately after assuming office.

According to NRA Spokesperson Ram Prasad Thapaliya, the NRA has signed agreements with 4,44,000 households of which more than 3,90,000 households have already received the first instalment of Rs 50,000.

Sixteen per cent of the quake-affected households have not signed agreements with the NRA for assistance. Thapaliya said there could be multiple reasons for this but one reason was that there was no deadline for signing such agreement.

He said the NRA would provide assistance to all quake-affected households. Thapaliya said the NRA would formulate procedure to provide other instalments to quake-affected households.

The NRA, he added, received instructions from the PM yesterday about distribution of additional instalments to the quake-affected households.

“We are working day and night to do the assigned job. We sat discussing the issues yesterday,” he added.