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ACT SOON



The Kathmandu Post
1 May 2016
ACT SOON

Many quake victims are still living and languishing in temporary shelters even after one year of the killer quake. Many of them have not even received relief materials and grant money for buying GI sheets. The government took many months to establish National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) which is still understaffed. It is struggling to equip it with adequate staff. The expertise of the chief of NRA has been questioned. However, we still hope that it will realize its vital role and start working with extraordinary efficiency.

The quake survivors have kept alive their hopes of receiving grant money from the government so that they can rebuild their permanent shelters before the onset of monsoon. However, lengthy bureaucratic process has been a hurdle. It was encouraging to know that around two dozen Nepali Congress lawmakers have now realized that reconstruction is moving slowly and exerted pressure on Prime Minister K.P. Oli to expedite the process (“Congress MPs ask PM to cut through red tape” 27 April, Page1).

PM Oli and his ministers continue to assure the people that the government will leave no stone unturned to help the affected people rebuild their homes before monsoon by releasing grant money as soon as possible. However, the real problem lies at the implementation, both at the centre and the local level. If the government fails to release grant money and mobilize its machineries soon, more people will lose their lives during the upcoming monsoon. Let us hope that Nepal will not turn into another Haiti.

Rai Biren Bangdel
Maharajgunj

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2016-05-01/letter-to-the-editor-20160501085750.html

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