SPEED UP

The Kathmandu Post

27 October 2017

SPEED UP

More than two years have passed after the earthquake devastated Nepal in April 2015, killing more than 8,000 people and destroying thousands of houses and historic monuments. Most of the affected people were forced to take shelter in make- shift camps and they are still in these temporary shelters waiting for support from the government.  The victims suffered severely during the last two winters and monsoons.

The government formed the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) to take charge of the reconstruction process. It took several months for the NRA to become operational due to politicisation of this organisation. The UML led government appointed its favoured candidate Shushil Gyewali as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who was subsequently criticized for not working affectively. He was replaced by the pro-Nepali Congress candidate Govind Raj Pokharel soon after the NC-Maoist coalition partnership toppled Oli led government. Now, Yubaraj Bhusal, close relative of NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel, has been appointed as the CEO following the resignation of Pokharel (“Yubaraj Bhusal appointed new chief executive officer of NRA” October 24, Page1).

The NRA has identified 737,705 household as beneficiaries of the housing reconstruction grant. Of them, 620,646 households have so far received the first instalment of aid. Likewise, 85,332 have received the second tranche, while 12,726 have collected the third instalment of the rebuilding grant. These figures show that the reconstruction process is moving very slowly. The reason behind this is the lengthy bureaucratic process for claiming the aid amount, and inefficient management and administrative system of NRA. It is hoped that there will be substantial progress in the reconstruction process in the coming days as claimed by the new CEO.

Rai Biren Bangdel

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