Nepal forms panel to speed up post-quake reconstruction

Nepal has set up a development committee with participation from other organisations and countries, including India, to facilitate and speed up post-earthquake reconstruction work in the country.
Formed by Prime Minister and Chairman of National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Consultative Council Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" yesterday, the Development Assistance Coordination and Facilitation Committee (DACAFC) will coordinate funds received from different donor agencies, NRA officials said.
A meeting of the council held on October 4 had given Prachanda the responsibility of forming the committee.
The committee, to be headed by Chief Executive Officer of the NRA, will have one representative from India, China, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

It will also have two members from Nepal-based International Development Partner Organisations while president or representative from Federation of Nepali Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Non-Governmental Organisation Federation and International NGOs as members.
The committee would encourage the national and international development partners, civil society and private sector for the monetary and technical assistance to the rehabilitation of the earthquake survivals and rebuilding of damaged structures.

The committee's role and responsibility will be to coordinate and facilitate the civil society and national as well as international development partners involved in reconstruction work.
Meanwhile, the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) has granted 1.5 million pounds for post-earthquake reconstruction work in Nepal.

The donation was given to support the Nepal government's efforts to rebuild critical infrastructure such as trails in remote areas.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which has been active in trail reconstruction across Nepal after the earthquakes, has welcomed the DFID's grant, saying the donation will be used to rehabilitate six trails and complete engineer assessments on a further six trails in the areas that were most severely affected by the quake.
The new trails will directly or indirectly benefit approximately 55,175 people living in the mountainous areas of Dhading, Gorkha, and Rasuwa, it said.
A powerful earthquake 7.8-magnitude hit Nepal on April 25 last year, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring 14,123 others.

According to a situation report released by the United Nation's humanitarian agency OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), over 1,60,000 houses were destroyed in the quake.
A total of 1,383 schools were also damaged in the powerful quake, the report said.