Kathmandu, January 12

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration today issued a circular to all 753 local levels, directing them to collect and send the details of thatched-roof houses or huts to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction within 15 days.

Section Officer Shekhar Nidi Paudyal at Information and Technology section of the MoFAGA said the local levels were told to collect official data of families living in thatched-roof houses or huts for implementation of the government’s policy to bring them under zinc roofs within two years, in accordance with the Safe Citizen Housing programme.

The government has already formulated Safe Citizen Housing Implementation Procedure to ensure arrangement of appropriate, safe and environment-friendly housing for people living below the poverty line and those rendered homeless due to natural disasters. As per the procedure, the government shall identify the beneficiaries on the basis of recommendation letter of the concerned local level and the District Disaster Management Committee. Only families living in a hut or a house with thatched roof, which is vulnerable to fire, rain and storm will benefit under this scheme.

“Priority shall be given to families with senior citizens, orphans, single women and persons with disabilities. Any joint family is entitled to grant amount for only one housing unit,” the procedure reads.

The procedure has empowered the Safe Citizen Housing Coordination Committee led by a directly elected member of the House of Representatives to select beneficiaries from among the families identified by the Federal Level Project Implementation Unit in the concerned constituency. The FLPIU will enter into a grant agreement with the selected beneficiaries for the purpose of construction of safe houses. The grant amount is provided through a banking channel in two instalments (60 per cent and 40 per cent).

“After receiving the first tranche of the grant amount, the concerned beneficiary shall proceed with house construction by purchasing wood, corrugated zinc sheets and other materials. The last instalment shall be released once the report from the concerned local level and technical committee confirms that the first instalment was properly utilised,” it reads.

It has not defined the amount to be provided for the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries of post-earthquake reconstruction, disaster management or vulnerable settlement relocation, among other scheme, shall not be entitled to the grant referred to in this procedure.