Rs. 6.79bn disaster fund remains in stock

Kathmandu, June 13: A disaster preparedness fund established by the federal government has a budget of Rs. 6.79 billion to be distributed to the people affected by the monsoon-induced disaster to reconstruct private houses.     

The budget, however, doesn’t include the amount allocated by various local levels. The district-level disaster management committee currently has a fund of Rs. 372.56 million in stock just for 33 districts out of 1.854 billion allocated for 77 districts.  

There exist separate disaster funds established by the federal, provincial, district and local levels targeting to provide immediate and long-term relief to the people affected by monsoon disaster.

Dr. Dijan Bhattarai, Joint Secretary and Spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund currently has Rs. 3.591 billion, with Rs. 2.06 billion at the National Disaster Management Fund, Rs. 594.49 million at the Province Natural Disaster Management Fund, and Rs. 1.854 billion at the District Disaster Management Fund in stock.

“NDRRMA doesn’t directly provide or engage in distributing relief amount but just coordinate in distributing it through several funds that are in existence at different levels of the government,” Dr. Bhattarai said.

In case of the death of people from monsoon related disaster, the concerned local level or province level government distributes the relief amount, he said. 

The NDRRMA has just been providing relief amount directly to their accounts (victims) as per the recommendation made by the concerned district disaster management committee for the reconstruction, partial reconstruction and immediate relief assistance of Rs. 50,000 to each household, he said.

According to Bhimraj Basnet, section officer and focal person for disaster relief distribution record section, Rs. 372.56 million fund has been kept in ready position for distribution to a total of 5,138 beneficiaries in 33 districts that had been affected by monsoon disaster in the last fiscal year (2077 B.S.). 

The districts include – Achham, Arghakhanchi, Kathmandu, Kalikot, Kaski, Gulmi, Gorkha, Jajarkot, Dadeldhura, Tanahun, Dang, Darchula, Dailekh, Dhankuta, Nuwakot, Parbat, Pyuthan and Bajhang.  Similarly, beneficiaries from other districts eligible to receive the amount include – Baglung, Bajura, Bhojpur, Makwanpur, Morang, Manang, Myagdi, Rukum (west), Rolpa, Lamjung, Sankhuwasabha, Salyan, Sindhupalchowk, Syangja and Humla.

Among these districts, the highest number of beneficiaries that were recommended to receive the relief amount include Kalikot district with a total 947 private houses. In Kalikot, the government had to distribute Rs. 54.66 million. Similarly, there are 744 private houses waiting for relief amount of Rs. 50.6 million and in Baglung 504 houses are found eligible to receive Rs. 30.6 million as relief amount. For the reconstruction of monsoon-hit houses, the government has been providing Rs. 500,000 in assistance in Himalayan region, Rs. 400,000 in Mountain and Rs. 300,000 in Terai region in three tranches. 

According to Basnet, so far the government had distributed the first tranche to reconstruct house and first and second tranche for construction of temporary settlements in most of 33 districts. Such amounts used to be sent directly to the account numbers of the beneficiaries, he said.