Lamjung, January 13

Earthquake survivors received the first instalment of the government’s grant meant for reconstruction of their damaged houses 30 months after the devastating earthquakes in Lamjung.

District Coordination Committee Lamjung Focal person Shiva Regmi said that of 13,959 households on the beneficiaries’ list 12,699 victims received the first instalment.

According to Regmi,  2,175 earthquake victim households of Dudhpokhari Rural Municipality, 813 of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality, 247 families of Koholasothar Rural Municipality, 2,153 families of Dordi Rural Municipality and 1,188 families of Besishahar Municipality received Rs 50,000 as the first instalment of the grant in the district for reconstructing their houses.

Likewise, a total of 2,773 families of Rainas Municipality, 1,252 families of Madhya Nepal and 298 families of Sundarbazar Municipality received the first instalment of the housing grant.

According to Regmi, a total of 13,959 houses were destroyed in the  devastating earthquakes in the year in the district. Of the beneficiaries who received the first instalment, only 1,500 families were found reconstructing their houses. Similarly, around 300 houses at Dudhpokhari, Rainas and Sundarbazaar municipalities are under construction with financial support from various donor agencies .

According to him, as many as 3,242 persons have filed complaints, saying they were excluded from the list of housing grant beneficiaries.

The technicians deployed by National Reconstruction Authority in Lamjung have been taking stock of the progress on reconstruction visiting each rural municipalities and municipalities since December 18.

According to Local Development Officer Dilli Ram Sigdel, the technicians will recommend the second and the third instalments of the housing grant.

The district coordination committee will send the amount to the bank accounts of beneficiaries  only after  receiving recommendations.