Khotang, July 4

Four years after the massive earthquake, Khotang has witnessed completion of 81 per cent post-quake reconstruction.

The district comprising 10 local bodies, including two municipalities, had a total of 8,443 families registered as beneficiaries of the housing grant.

Of them, some 8,413 households have received first instalment of the grant so far. As per the National Reconstruction Authority District Project Implementation Unit office, 5,936 and 3,936 families have received the second and third instalments respectively.

After signing contracts with beneficiaries in April two years ago, the reconstruction authorities in the district had started handing the first tranche of the grant from June the same year, while distribution of the second and third tranches of the grant had started in May and September respectively last year.

“If we’re to see progress in the reconstruction of the post-ravaged physical infrastructure, we can put the progress somewhere at 81 per cent,” said the project implementation office Chief Sagar Acharya, adding the highest progress in reconstruction has been seen in Diprung-Chuichumma Rural Municipality, where so far 330 out of 524 beneficiaries had received all three instalments.

Meanwhile, there are many victims who have yet to start reconstruction of their homes even after receiving the grant due to various factors, including lack of engineers to oversee the construction process.