Karnali govt announces Rs 43.5m  cash relief for Palata fire victims

Surkhet, December 29

The Karnali province government has announced a relief of Rs 43.5 million to the fire victims of Palata Rural Municipality in Kalikot district.

The houses of 87 families at Neupanebada of Palata were reduced to ashes in a massive fire on December 23. Minister of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives of the province Bimala KC, who is also the spokesperson for the provincial government, shared this information during a press conference here today.

According to her, a meeting of the provincial council of ministers yesterday decided to provide financial assistance to the fire victims.

The meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi decided to provide Rs 500,000 to each fire victim family.

She said the province government had already provided Rs 20,000 cash per family and other relief assistance to the fire victims a day after the incident.

“The province government has also decided to implement fire victim rehabilitation programme and provide technical assistance for reconstruction of houses,” she said.

She said Karnali province government also expressed sorrow over the financial and physical loss caused by the inferno, wishing prompt recovery of those injured in the incident. Likewise, the provincial cabinet meeting extended sincere gratitude to the federal government, local governments, political parties, non-governmental organisations and individual donors who lent help in the rescue and support to the fire victims.

The province government also decided to appeal to the governmental and non-governmental organisations and individuals willing to extend cooperation for the rehabilitation of the 87 fire victim families to do so in coordination with the province government.