Under People’s Housing Programme (Janata Awas Karyakram), the Nepali Army had constructed 869 houses in the two districts. Of them, 807 were constructed in Bara and 62 in Parsa districts.

Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Ishwor Pokharel handed over the land registration certificates and house plans of the houses to Chief Minister of State 2 Lalbabu Raut in a programme organised in Birgungj on Wednesday.

Addressing the programme, DPM Pokharel said that the house construction task provided to the NA by the government was possible due to better coordination and communication among the three-tier governments.

“We have become able to build houses for the victims within the given timeframe and this has been possible due to cooperation from all the bodies,” Defence Minister Pokharel said.
This was also possible because rigorous effort and engagement of the People’s Housing Programme unit of the Nepali Army.

The present government has the responsibility to fulfill and execute all those commitments made before the public on different dates, he said. The timely completion of the project was also a part of the government’s commitment which was fulfilled in time, DPM Pokharel said.

“The government has almost completed the process of promulgating new laws, and now it is a time to engage in fulfilling the public aspirations,” the Acting PM said. The government should be ready to face the public decision if their expectations and aspirations are still not met, he said.

DPM Pokharel said that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had sent a message to meet the tornado victims after his return from Singapore.

CM Raut thanked the Nepali Army for constructing the house in time. He recalled that the houses were built in a special initiation of Prime Minister Oli.

“Still construction of houses for a few victims has been left and they will be built later in coordination with the Federal, State and Local bodies,” CM Raut said.

Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) General Purna Chandra Thapa said that the NA accomplished the house construction task at the instruction of the Federal government.

CoAS Thapa had first handed over the land documents and house construction completion report to Acting Prime Minister Pokharel and Acting Prime Minister Pokharel in turn handed over the same documents to CM Raut.

Likewise, CM Raut handed over the same documents to the chiefs of the tornado-hit local bodies.

It costs Rs. 485,000 to build each house for the tornado victims, according to the report of People’s Housing Task Force.

However, the government had allocated Rs. 545,985 for the construction of each house. The NA was able to save Rs. 61,100 from each house. Each house has two rooms, one kitchen room, and one toilet. The houses are environment-friendly and natural disaster resilience.

The local bodies will hand over the houses to the concerned victims by organising a special function.