Ramechhap, December 30

Fake earthquake victims of Ramechhap, who had managed to secure the state-granted cash relief by forging details, have started returning the relief amount, of late.

After the district administration issued a notice to this effect about a week ago, eight of such phony temblor victims have returned the cash relief of Rs 15,000 provided by the government for the construction of temporary shelters. The administration hasn’t made names of the fake victims public.

According to Chief District Officer Shesh Narayan Poudel, so far 120,000 rupees has been refunded to the state account by false quake victims of different VDCs in the district.

“As the relief amount can also be refunded through other banks outside the district, the number of persons returning the relief amount obtained unscrupulously earlier, could go up,” he said, adding that after the notice, a few of the so-called ‘victims’ have also decided to sit out the distribution of fresh relief for winter clothes.