Jhapa, May 11

Kachankawal Rural Municipality, Jhapa, has distributed relief to more than 5,000 families, who have been worst-hit by the lockdown.

According to rural municipality Chair Anjara Alam, relief-distribution was carried out through one-window system, maintaining transparency. “Of the 9,001 households in the municipality, 5,291 families, which make up over 58 per cent of the total population, have received relief,” said Alam, adding that each family got 10 kg rice, 1 kg pulses, 1 litre cooking oil, 1kg salt and a bar of toilet soap as relief.

The rural municipality’s Planning Section Chief Keshav Mainali said around Rs 4.4 million had been spent for relief distribution at the local level. The rural municipality has a disaster management fund. According to the rural municipality’s Account Officer Manamohan Sigdel, the fund now has more than Rs 3 million.

While the rural municipality itself had deposited Rs 4.4 million in the fund and the provincial government chipped in Rs 500,000, various philanthropists and organisations have also contributed to the fund after it was set up.

“In view of the fact that the municipality borders with India, we’ve done everything possible to be safe from the virus with our resources,” said Health Section Chief Jageshwor Yadav.

“While we have set up a 30-bed quarantine facility in Ward No 3, we have so far conducted rapid diagnostic tests of 22 persons and PCR test of 10 persons,” said Yadav. “The results of all the test were negative,” he added.

The rural municipality has also set up a coronavirus health desk at health posts near the border with India.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 12, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.