Kathmandu, December 29
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has issued a circular to all the local levels, directing them to send the progress report of Safe Citizen Housing Programme being undertaken in their respective areas.
According to a notice published by the MoFAGA on its website yesterday, the local levels will have to provide the progress report along with physical and financial progress of the Safe Citizen Housing Programme by mid-January 2023.
"The progress report to be prepared and sent by the local levels should include the number of housing units signed for grant under the programme, and the number of housing units that received first tranche (60 per cent) and second tranche (40 per cent) of the grant," the MoFAGA said. The local levels may get these details from the Intensive Urban and Building Construction Project Unit concerned and send their progress report.
As of August, a total of 130,932 beneficiaries were selected under the Safe Citizen Housing Programme. According to statistics released by the authorities, grant agreements were concluded with 122,319 beneficiaries out of those selected for the programme. Similarly, 81,866 and 18,273 beneficiaries have received the first and second tranches, respectively.
The Ministry of Finance has allocated budget to the local levels for the grant agreement and implementation of the Safe Citizen Housing Programme on recommendation of the Ministry of Urban Development.
The programme is executed in line with the Safe Citizen Housing Implementation Procedure to ensure arrangement of appropriate, safe and environment-friendly housing for people living below the poverty line and whose houses have thatched roof. This requires the government to identify and select beneficiaries on the basis of the recommendation letter of the concerned local level and district disaster management committee.
Only families living in a hut or house with thatched roof and which are vulnerable to fire, rain and storm will benefit from this scheme. The grant is utilised to replace the thatched roof or other vulnerable roofs with galvanised zinc sheets.
Under this programme, priority is accorded to families with senior citizens, orphans, single women and persons with disabilities. The joint family is entitled to grant amount for only one housing unit. The grant amount of Rs 50,000 is provided through a banking channel in two tranches.
After receiving the first tranche (60 per cent) of the grant amount, the concerned beneficiary should proceed with re-roofing the house. The second tranche (40 per cent) is released once a report from the concerned local level and technical committee confirm that the first tranche was properly used.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 30, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
