Chitwan, April 11

The National Reconstruction Authority has started signing reconstruction grant agreement with the quake victims of Chitwan for the first instalment of the grant.

The agreement signing was launched today amid a programme organised at Ichhakamana Rural Municipality in the presence of Chitwan Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhatta, Local Development Officer Krishna Prasad Subedi, SSP HarishankarBudhathoki and NRA consultant Mahesh Maharjan.

Victims will receive Rs 50,000 as first instalment under the agreement. The amount will be deposited in the accounts of Agriculture Development Bank and Garima Development Bank for quake victims of Ichhakamana Rural Municipality. The money will be deposited once the victims open their accounts in these banks.

BalaramLuitel, disaster contact person at Chitwan Coordination Committee, said 1,115 families in Darechowk, 294 in Siddi and 440 in Lothar VDCs of the district were eligible to receive the grant amount.

The Chepang community in the district was worst hit by the devastating earthquakes of April 2015. Local Chepangs have been living under temporary tents ever since the quake ravaged their houses.

The government has already signed grant agreements with 548,255 out of 636,036 beneficiaries in 14 worst-hit districts. The government provides each family with a total of Rs 300,000 in three instalments to reconstruct homes that were damaged by the quake.