GORKHA: Naya Shakti Nepal leader and former Prime Minister and Dr Baburam Bhattarai on Tuesday criticised the the government and National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) for delay in the post-earthquake reconstruction.

Taking part in an interaction "Gorkha Reconstruction: Possibility and Challenges' here in his home district today, Dr Bhattarai opined that the families affected by the earthquake should be provided with Rs 500,000 each as reconstruction grant instead of Rs 200,000.

"Rs 200,000 on top of 50 kinds of pre-conditions cannot build a home," he argued.

According to him, people could build earthquake-resilient houses only if they were provided Rs 500,000 grant and loan on minimal interests.

With its epicentre in Barpak of Gorkha district, a devastating earthquake had hit Nepal on April 25 last years.