Kathmandu, March 27
About a year after mega quakes rocked Nepal, leaving behind a trail of death and devastation worth trillions, National Reconstruction Authority has started releasing funds to different ministries and government agencies.
The authority, on Friday, released Rs 4.27 billion to different authorities. Of the 74 billion rupees meant for reconstruction work, it has yet to release Rs 69.46 billion.
After getting some money, ministries are making preparations to provide relief to the quake victims and engage in reconstruction of physical structures under their jurisdiction.
The programmes that aim to provide ‘immediate relief’ to the victims will also be run with this budget.
The ministries and other authorities can use the funds received for reconstruction work and for rehabilitation of the victims.
On Friday, the authority released Rs 600 million for the Ministry of Local Development, whereas the Ministry of Education got Rs 195 million. The same day it authorised the Department of Roads to spend Rs 665 million and authorised the Ministry of Agriculture to spend Rs 50.13 million.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation will mobilise around Rs 390 million, whereas the Ministry of Urban Development will use around Rs 365 million immediately. Not so long ago, the authority had released Rs 265 million to the Ministry of Local Development.
Due to delays in the release of funds, ministries had not been able to undertake reconstruction and rehabilitation works.
The authority has constituted a project implementation unit each at every concerned ministry for undertaking post-quake reconstruction works in an integrated manner. These units had submitted their action plans on reconstruction works to the authority.
These programmes got approved 11 months later. How the ministries will undertake reconstruction works and how fast the works will be is something that is yet to be seen.
