National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Chief Executive Officer Yubaraj Bhusal said that he has not received any direction or information from the government regarding the recently reported increase of earthquake housing grant of Rs.100, 000.00 to earthquake victims. “Since there is no budget for new increase, NRA is going to precede its program providing Rs.300.000.00 as per schedule.

Two weeks ago cabinet decided to increase the housing grant increasing Rs.100.000.000 to the victims.

Addressing media, he said that as many as 100,000 houses damaged by 2015 earthquake would be reconstructed by this mid-February. NRA Chief Executive Officer Bhusal informed that by that time number of houses being reconstructed would reach 450,000. Efforts are underway to ensure permanent shelter to 60 percent of the earthquake affected ones by coming monsoon.

During an interaction in the capital, NRA CEO Bhusal further said, “So far, 95,000 houses have been reconstructed, while 284,000 are under construction. The engineers have been mobilized in five different groups in the 14 districts which suffered most in the earthquake. After they are provided the allowance, they are encouraged for working.”

According to him, those mobilized in the hard hit district are provided Rs 58,000 and those inconvenient districts Rs 42,000 every month.

The engineers have been working in 1,186 wards of 131 local levels in 14 districts. Similarly, 21,000 have been given training in these districts to prepare necessary human resources for the reconstruction of the houses.

In 18 districts which witnessed partial damages, 5,000 people have been trained.

The reconstruction priority is given to the houses for senior citizen above 70 years of age, single women above 65 years of age, and under-16.