KATHMANDU, June 30

The government today decided to form a task force to relocate the settlements rendered uninhabitable due to tremors in the most affected districts within next 15 days.

According to Minister for Urban Development Narayan Khadka, the Cabinet meeting today decided to entrust a task force led by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam and including Deputy PM and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Prakashman Singh and Khadka himself to accomplish the task.

Khadka said the government had decided to relocate at least 30 vulnerable settlements of 18 earthquake-hit districts within 15 days to minimise the damage caused by the monsoon.

He added that the government took the decision as per the report presented by the joint teams of lawmakers and geologists after visiting the affected settlements. They had urged the government to relocate the settlements after identifying the vulnerable ones.

Yesterday the Cabinet had decided to entrust the three ministries — home affairs, federal affairs and urban development — to relocate the vulnerable settlements after identifying 56 such settlement — at least 16 settlements in Gorkha, 14 in Sindhupalchowk, 13 in Dolakha, 10 in Rasuwa and three in Gorkha.