Rautahat, February 13

The government’s failure to construct houses under the People’s Residence Programme on time has left people of impoverished and backward community of Rautahat in a lurch.

Urban Development and Building Construction Department had decided to construct 1,000 houses for people from Musahar, Dushad, Dhobi, Tatma, Chamar, Dom, Muslim and Raut community in Rautahat last fiscal. Construction of houses that started last fiscal is yet to be completed.

The government had allocated Rs 214,700 to build each house under the People’s Residence Programme. The money was to be provided to the construction committee in four instalments. However, due to sheer negligence on the part of Urban Development and Building Construction Division Office, Parsa, 1,000 families were forced to spend the nights in the open this winter.

People’s Residence Programme Implementation Unit Gaur Office stated that of the total 1,000 houses, foundation stones were laid of 774 houses and walls have been constructed for 136 houses. Ramsakhi Devi Ram of the Musahar settlement in Gaur Municipality-2 complained that poor families were forced to live under the open sky.