Kavre, September 16

More than 600 earthquake victims of Bhumlutar and Phalate VDCs in Kavre have not been able to receive grant for the construction of their houses damaged during the devastating earthquake last year.

Moti Lal Lama of Bhumlutar -7 regretted that they failed to sign the grant agreement due to the fact that the survey and the land revenue office hadn’t provided them with land ownership certificates when they bought the land over four decades ago.

Though the government had directed the concerned authority to provide grants within mid-September, more than 600 households in the district still do not have land ownership certificates.

Although each of them have earthquake victim identity card and other documents provided by technicians during collection of quake victims’ details, they have not been able to sign the grant agreement for want of land ownership certificate.

Local Development Officer, Tek Raj Niraula said the earthquake victims of Phalate and Bhumlutar VDC were also facing similar issues, “We have reported to the National Reconstruction Authority about the problem and are awaiting its response. We can’t do anything before the reply,” said LDO Niraula.

“It is the negligence on the part of the administration. Aren’t we the residents of the locality? Why then can’t we get the grant?” asked Deepak Kharel of Phalate.

As per him, the locals of both the VDCs are planning to stage a sit-in at District Administration Office.

Ghana Shyam Upadhyay, chief of the Land Revenue Office, Kavre, however, said that the locals were deprived of the document due to technical error and the office was preparing to issue land ownership certificates to them.