Dolakha, March 3

Earthquake victims of Dolakha have lamented the lengthy official procedure they are forced to go through to receive the housing grant provided by the government.

Most of the quake victims have started building their houses after three years. However, they bemoan legal hassles they have to face before receiving the grant.

Quake victim Jagat Bahadur Khatri of Bigu Rural Municipality-4, who received the first tranche of housing grant from the National Reconstruction Authority Chief Executive Officer Sushil Gyawali, said he hadn’t received other instalments. “I completed house construction work long time back but haven’t got the remaining,” he said, requesting the government to make it hassle free.

Padam Pande of the same village started house reconstruction after receiving the first instalment of Rs 50,000, but had to leave it unfinished due to the long procedures to claim successive instalments. “I was so full of enthusiasm when I started constructing the house but all the enthusiasm died away slowly when there was no way I could get further instalments,” he bemoaned, adding he couldn’t get the remaining grant amount as his house couldn’t be verified due to lack of technicians.

Even the banks have added to the woes of quake victims. Naina Bahadur Khadka of Shailung Rural Municipality-6 said he couldn’t receive the grant even after frequenting the bank and falling in long line for three days. Similar is the story of Padammaya Karki of Melung Rural Municipality-2, Ghyangsukathokar. On his part, NCC Bank branch manager Puskar Karki conceded that people were facing difficulty but attributed the same to lack of staff.

As per the official record, the district has a total of 62,833 households entitled to receive housing grant. Of them, 27,605 households have started building their houses, while construction of 15,878 houses has been over. Of the total 44 government buildings damaged by the quake, 10 have been reconstructed so far, while 17 are being constructed anew. Similarly, out of 366 schools damaged by the quake, 56 have been constructed so far.