Ramechhap, December 4

Quake victims have developed apathy towards retrofitting their houses, which were partially damaged in the earthquakes of 2015 though four years have passed since the deadly quake struck the country.

According to District Project Implementation Unit Ramechhap under National Reconstruction Authority, 7,462 houses have been included in list of retrofitting. Of them, only 524 have signed the contract for retrofitting.

Of those families which have signed the contract, only 517 have received Rs 50,000 of the first instalment. Recipients of the first instalment are yet to come for the second tranche of the instalment, said project Chief Bir Bahadur Rawal.

Quake victims  said they did not believe their quake-damaged houses would be liveable after retrofitting. Project Chief Rawal, however, claimed that retrofitting could not gain momentum for want of technicians and skilled manpower for it.

The government has formulated the policy of providing Rs 1 lakh for the repair of partially damaged houses in the earthquake. The NRA has incorporated some houses fully destroyed in the quake in the list of retrofitting and maintenance.

Many quake victims have registered applications at the local levels saying that they could not live in their houses after retrofitting. These people were willing to be incorporated in the list of beneficiaries.