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Kathmandu, Feb 5: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has said it was going to launch training to enhance skills among the workers used in reconstruction activities in all villages affected by the earthquake.
Chief Executive Officer at NRA, Prof Dr Govind Raj Pokhrel has said 200 technicians of Nepal Army were currently providing training in different villages.
"One executive member of NRA has been assigned to look after the training," he said, adding that Nepal Army's technicians would continue providing training to help accelerate the reconstruction activities.
The NRA was mobilizing the technicians in all remote areas to produce skilled human resources which would be beneficial for future too.
Though there is a need of 60,000 skilled workers to assist the post-earthquake reconstruction works in the 14 most-affected districts, training has so far been imparted to 15,000. However, the fact is that all the trained workers are not in work. The private housing reconstruction works have not commenced in the affected districts due to lack of trained workers and construction materials.
Twenty workers received the house rebuilding training, but only four are working, according to CEO Pokhrel. Exodus of youths from villages for abroad jobs has caused shortage of workers in the quake-hit districts, he added.
The NRA is learnt to have been preparing to present a proposal at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, seeking an amendment to the NRA Funds Guidelines to ensure transparency in the implementation of reconstruction works.
The NRA Steering Committee recently has made a decision targeting those survivors residing on Guthi's land or facing other land-related problems. As per the decision, survivors falling into this category need the recommendation of the respective ward or VDC and consideration of neighbours to draw the first instalment of the house rebuilding grants. Some 11,000 survivors in the most-affected district face land-related problems, according to NRA Joint Secretary Janardan Guragain.
Some 200,000 houses in the badly affected districts are in need of retrofitting, the NRA data shows. The government has decided to provide Rs 10,000 to a house owner to retrofit the quake-damaged house.
NRA executive member Hariram Parajuli said quake victims have the right to choose between reconstructing or upgrading their houses.
The NRA is at work to create conducive environment for the survivors to reconstruct their damaged houses, he said, adding that efforts of NRA are on to clear hassles in relation to loaning out Rs 2.5 million to each quake family in Kathmandu Valley and Rs 1.5 million outside the Valley at the interest rate of two percent. As a result, only 113 quake survivors have taken loan so far.
Alongside reconstructing their houses, the NRA is also mindful of providing sustenance for the affected ones.
More than 800,000 houses have been damaged fully in the quake that rattled the country on April 25, 2015. The Central Bureau of Statistics has distributed the first tranche of the housing grant worth Rs 50,000 to quake victims of the most quake affected 14 districts so far. The Bureau is carrying out a survey to provide the grant to the victims of other 17 quake affected districts, a Bureau official said.
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