Nearly 2,000 Jajarkot quake victims still not paid the first tranche fund

By Our Correspondent, Rukum West, Apr. 22: Earthquake victims of Rukum West have still not received the first instalment of the funds for the construction of temporary housing.

Altogether, 32,996 beneficiaries are recommended by the local level to the District Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee, but only 31,085 people have received the first tranche of the fund so far. 

According to the District Administration Office, 1,911 victims have not yet received the first tranche of the fund.

According to Chief District Officer Hari Prasad Panta, the first tranche of the fund amounting to Rs. 25,000 has been forwarded to the accounts of the local wards from the District Disaster Fund to all the beneficiaries. 

Of them, 31,436 beneficiaries who received the first trance of the fund have constructed temporary housing across the district. 

A total of 1,560 beneficiaries are still unable to build temporary housing. According to the District Administration Office, at present, 2,706 temporary housings are in under construction phase. 

According to CDO Panta, Rs. 824.9 million have been sent to the local level at the rate of Rs. 25,000 for the first instalment so far. Out of which the local level has distributed Rs. 777.1 million to the beneficiaries. The remaining Rs. 47.7 million has been stocked in the disaster fund at the local level when the victims failed to get their first tranches due to various reasons. 

Since the first installment has not yet been distributed and the construction of temporary housing has not been completed, it is difficult to predict when the victims will get the second trance of the fund. 

Meanwhile, the local level offices have said that the work of entering the details of the beneficiaries in the disaster portal of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority is underway. 

Mayor Ravi KC of Athabiskot Municipality said that the work of entering the details including photos of the temporary housing in the portal was going on in full swing. 

Mayor KC said that the entering of the details of the beneficiaries into the portals is being delayed due to geographical problems and a lack of manpower. 

The DAO has said the distribution of the second instalment will start only after the details of the beneficiaries are entered into the portal.