Reconstruction Authority Bill approved

Fild photo

Kathmandu / December 16: A bill regarding the reconstruction of the structure devastated by the earthquake has been endorsed by the parliament today after a long hiatus.

A meeting of the Legislature-Parliament Wednesday enacted the bill after nine months. Owing to a prolonged debate between the ruling parties and the chief opposition party, the bill was stuck in the parliament that prevented the reconstruction efforts.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Agni Prasad Kharel presented the Reconstruction Authority Bill for the post-earthquake rebuild.

The April 25 destructive earthquake and subsequent aftershocks had completely affected 14 districts and hit 31 districts of the country. The natural disaster had left 8,889 people killed, as many as 21,000 injured and around 800,000 buildings devastated.

Many archeologically important heritages and historical buildings with artistic value were also turned into rubbles in the disaster.

Though the government had distributed Rs 15,000 as relief assistance to the earthquake victims, they have been surviving tougher lives under tents and sheets. The unofficial blockade imposed by India of late has increased woes to the quake survivors in the affected districts.

For no law the earthquake survivors did ot get Rs 200,000 pledged by the government. Likewise, the Nepali Congress lawmaker Nabindra Raj Joshi has said that the earthquake survivors have not received any relief to this date. He admitted that the lawmakers could not realize the pain facing by the quake victims and even they did not explore their proper role to render relief to them.

Meanwhile, Minister Kharel has said it was a matter of happiness that the reconstruction bill was endorsed on the basis of consensus. Responding to queries of journalists regarding the bill, Minister Kharel argued the bill has included the voices of lawmakers from the earthquake-hit districts and had clear provisions regarding the relief and rehabilitation of the affected.

He expressed his hope that reconstruction of the disaster-affected structures would go ahead smoothly with the passing of the bill. The next meeting of the Legislature-Parliament has been scheduled for 11:00 am on December 18. RSS