Stakeholders for error-free data collection

Sindhulimadhi, February 3

The administration is all set to mobilise teams of engineers to rural areas to collect data of earthquake victims before starting the reconstruction of their settlements in Sindhuli.

Organising an orientation programme, Data Collection Management Committee Sindhuli informed the stakeholders about data collection and questionnaire in Sindhulimadi.

Speaking at the programme, chaired by Chief District Officer Deepak Raj Nepal, stakeholders and party leaders underscored the need of fairness and transparency in data collection.

According to sources, 25 teams of the engineers will visit the rural areas of 25 most affected VDCs from next Friday. “As many as 38 engineers along with other social mobilisers will reach all earthquake affected households to confirm the exact number of quake victims,” claimed the stakeholders.

Manik Dhakal, a Nepali Congress Sindhuli leader argued that people who own houses in Sindhuli bazaar area or Kathmandu valley were also holding victims’ card so to claim the relief provided by the government. He demanded that bogus victims should be brought to book and the real victims should obtain the relief support. “Data collection of earthquake victims earlier was not reliable. The same will not be repeated again,” he said.

CPN-UML Sindhuli Chairperson Pradeep Katwal also echoed same. “The data collected soon after the devastating April 25 quake was not authentic. There were many lapses in the data collected. Hence, it must be rectified carefully this time,” he said.

UCPN-Maoist District Chairperson Rajan Dahal said that due to many gaps in the record, non-victims enjoyed the relief. Hence, those bogus victims must be identified and prevented from receiving reconstruction amount of Rs 200,000, he said.

Chudamani Luintel, Chief of District Statistics Department and Interlocutor Officer of Data Collection Management Committee clarified about the criteria for data collection, methodology and process of data collection that would maintain fairness in the task, whereas engineer Pradeep Khanal claimed that they would make data collection error-free.

Local Development Officer Shiva Prasad Humagain expressed commitment to arrange secretaries for all the affected VDCs in the district. There are as many as 50 VDCs and two municipalities in the district. CDO Nepal directed the team members to avoid errors while collecting the data.

Meanwhile, as many as 51 teams have been deployed to initiate settlement reconstruction in Makawanpur from Tuesday. According to the administration, as many as 51 engineers and the same number of social mobilisers have been deployed for the task in quake-affected areas of the district. “The teams, well-equipped with modern devices, will collect data,” said local development officer Laxman Bikram Thapa.

Assistant Chief District Officer Chandra Bahadur Karki handed over a bag with necessary equipment and bade farewell to the teams at a function today.

Data collection will take its final form within a month. They will start from Agra, Tistung, Namtar, Gogane, Khairang, Markhu, Fakhel, Kalikatar, Bharta and Dandakharka, among others.