NRA to come up with fresh policy to expedite rebuilding drive

Kathmandu / Sept 5: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is to come up with a new policy to expedite it works.

At an interaction programme on the ‘post-earthquake situation’ jointly organised by National Election Observation Committee and Justice for All here today, NRA Spokesperson Ram Prasad Thapaliya admitted that rebuilding task had got delayed. He said they were committed to expediting the works by bringing a new policy soon. He added 16 laws have already been formulated to carry out post-quake reconstruction efforts. But an additional policy was required to accelerate the works.

According to the NRA Spokesperson, 60,000 houses in the disaster-hit areas will be constructed with the help of foreign assistance.

Foreign assistance was needed in the reconstruction efforts as resources available at home were not sufficient to meet the requirement, he said.

At the programme, lawmaker Kamala Pant complained that earthquake survivors had become the victims of politicization. Real survivors were yet to get relief assistance, she said, accusing the government of failing to identity the genuine victims and taking their problems seriously.

CPN (UML) central member Thakur Gaire stressed that political parties should have common commitments to addressing problems of quake survivors.

Director at the Department of Women and Children, Mohan Marasini, said quake victims would have already got shelter if there was no politicisation in the relief distribution process.

NEOC Chair Surya Prasad Shrestha blamed the political transition for a delay in providing earthquake survivors with relief assistance.

Justice for All Chair Sharmila Shrestha said the cases of violence against women and children increased in the country after the earthquake. RSS