NGOs allowed to engage in Nepal's rebuilding of quake-damaged houses

Nepal's National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), a body established to coordinate the reconstruction of the quake-damaged infrastructures in the country, has allowed non-government organizations (NGOs) to mobilize their resources in the process after a hiatus of three months.

A meeting of the authority's directive committee headed by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday evening endorsed a guideline related to the Mobilization of NGOs in Reconstruction, thus paving the way for domestic and international NGOs to use their resources in the reconstruction.

"There was a policy vacuum on mobilization of NGOs since mid-December. Following the latest decision, NGOs now can continue with their works," said NRA Spokesperson Ram Prasad Thapaliya.

At a time when policy vacuum was creating confusion about involving NGOs in the reconstruction, the NRA had temporarily banned NGOs from the reconstruction since the last week of February 2016, stating that it was finalizing the guidelines about NGOs mobilization.

The guideline has a provision of requiring signing an agreement involving NRA, NGOs and earthquake-affected households in presence of local bodies, according to NRA officials.

With the government agencies just starting reconstruction, international and national NGOs working in Nepal, had long been seeking authorization to spend their resources for reconstruction. Due to delay in reconstruction, many quake affected families have been forced to stay in make-shift houses.

The guideline was introduced after consulting with all stakeholders, NRA officials said.

"It has ensured mobilization of NGOs through one door system which helps reducing duplication of works from NGOs and they would come under the authority's supervision," said Thapaliya.

NRA's directive committee also decided to open its special office in Sindhupalchowk district where a largest number of people died while suffering biggest infrastructure damages. Endit