Donors’ conference for reconstruction kicks off

Pokhara / November 27: The Donor Agencies’ conference on reconstruction for quake-hit Gorkha district has kicked off in Pokhara from today.

The conference in which the representatives from various government agencies as well as some national and international donor agencies working in Gorkha following the April 25 quake have assembled are expected to devise short-term, medium-term and long-term reconstruction plans for the same district.

The earthquake, with its epicenter in Barpark in Gorkha, claimed the lives of 472 persons and injured more than a thousand in Gorkha. A total of 58,000 houses in Gorkha sustained completed damaged.

In today’s inaugural day of the Conference, the donor agencies’ representatives urged for the immediate formation of a high-powered Reconstruction Authority as they argued that the Bill related to it was still not endorsed despite seven months of the disaster.

Nepali Congress Gorkha Chapter President Hari Ghale shared that as many as 13,000 quake-hit persons in Gorkha were awaiting reconstruction.

He also spoke of the need for the organizations working in Gorkha to swing into action as soon as the plans and programmes for reconstruction are formulated in the Conference.

“The agencies coming forth to support in reconstruction should not stay wondering instead they should roll up the sleeve and spring into action,” he argued.

Similarly, Uddav Prasad Timilsena, Chief District Officer, Gorkha warned the reconstruction-oriented organizations in Gorkha of banishment from the district if found idle on the same.

CDO Timilsena said a separate strategy will be formulated in view of reconstruction in Gorkha upon the formation of Reconstruction Authority.

The Conference will also dwell and discuss about the rescue and relief operations undertaken so far as well as about the budget the donor agencies have allocated for reconstruction, according to Local Development Officer Prem Raj Giri.

A total of 130 representatives are participating in the Conference representing DFID, Oxfam, Eco-Nepal, UNDP and People in Need among other donor agencies. The Conference runs through Saturday. RSS