Govt. to make integrated action plan to build quake-resistant housing within a year

The government has decided to make an integrated action plan and build earthquake-resistant housing within one year for the rehabilitation of those affected by the Jajarkot earthquake while enabling the search, rescue and relief distribution.

The emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar today took a decision to pick Surkhet as the main liaison office, and Nepalgunj as the auxiliary liaison office to make the search, rescue and relief distribution effective, said Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, also the government spokesperson.

It was also decided upon to accept and thank for the assistance received through the formal proposal from neighbours and friendly nations for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people, she informed.

The government will provide Rs 200,000 to each family of the people killed in the quake, and the government hospitals will provide free treatment to the injured. Makeshift huts will be provided for the affected. “Since the reconstruction work cannot be effective through the traditional construction method and the existing procurement act, there is a demand to do the reconstruction work through a robust and effective mechanism, and an action plan will be made accordingly.

The modality of providing subsidies for the quake victims to construct houses has also been discussed. Real victims should get subsidies, and the houses built should be properly utilised,” said Sharma. The meeting also decided to provide lunch expenses to those deployed in the search, rescue and relief distribution and asked one and all to be patient in this time of disaster.