KATHMANDU, MAY 23 - Though the government has released Rs5.53 billion to provide relief packages in all the 38 quake-hit districts, not all victims will be receiving the announced Rs15,000 cash immediately.
The reason is that District Administration Offices (DAOs) are opting for different strategies for cash distribution.
Some DAOs are planning to distribute the money within a couple of days while others said they will distribute it only after issuing identity cards.
Home Ministry officials said funds have been disbursed to all the affected districts. “The district administration can now distribute cash for people to purchase zinc sheets and construct temporary shelters,” said Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, spokesman for the Home Ministry.
“We have already collected the details of the homeless. We will distribute the relief cash from Sunday and the other formalities will be completed later,” said Dhading CDO Basudev Ghimire.
The DAO has identified 43,000 homeless in the district. “We can issue identity cards as we have their records,” said Ghimire. In Dolakha, the DAO has asked the offices of the Village Development Committees and municipalities to distribute the IDs first and provide relief supplies based on the documents.
As many as 60,000 households are identified as homeless in the district and the local authorities are asked to verify their details before aiding them to construct temporary shelters.
The Local Development Office in Dolakha, however, said it will take at least two weeks to distribute the Rs15,000 relief cash. “It will take a week to verify victims another to distribute identity cards. The money will be distributed only after completing the process,” said Local Development Officer Resham Kandel, who is also the secretary of the District Natural Disaster Relief Committee.
According to officials, the Ministry is releasing Rs900 million for quake victims in Dolakha.
The relief distribution committee has decided to issue ID cards based on the reports by technicians of the damage to the houses. Currently, a five-member team is mobilised to evaluate the loss.
(With inputs from Rajendra Manadhar in Dolakha)
-ekantipur
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