New Delhi (NVI): India has released 1.54 billion Nepali Rupees (about Rs 96 crore) to Nepal towards housing and school sector assistance under New Delhi’s post-earthquake reconstruction commitment to Kathmandu.
Namgya Khampa, Deputy Chief of Mission of Embassy of India, anded over cheques worth NPR 1.54 billion (about INR 96 crore) to Sishir Kumar Dhungana, Secretary, Ministry of Finance of Nepal, the Embassy said in a statement.
On 22nd September, 2020, Ms. Namgya Khampa, DCM handed over cheques worth NPR 1.54 billion (about INR 96 crore) to Mr. Sishir Kumar Dhungana, Secretary, Ministry of Finance of Nepal towards housing & school sector assistance under GoI’s post-earthquake reconstruction commitment. pic.twitter.com/6fKtOy09z7
— IndiaInNepal (@IndiaInNepal) September 24, 2020
India has committed USD 150 million in grant and Line of Credit towards housing sector projects in the Himalayan country in the wake of the devastating 2015 earthquake.
“With this handover, India has reimbursed about USD 72 million from grant to Government of Nepal for housing sector reconstruction. Out of Government of India’s commitment to rebuild 50,000 houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts, 92% of the houses have been completed,” the Indian Embassy in Nepal said.
Apart from this, India has also committed support for the reconstruction of 70 schools and 1 library under USD 50 million grant assistance. “Out of this, the first tranche of USD 4.2 million for ongoing schools was reimbursed to Government of Nepal,” the Embassy said.
“Government of India remains committed to continue supporting the people and Government of Nepal in their post-earthquake recovery efforts,” it added.
In 2015, nearly 10,000 people had lost their lives and thousands were injured when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 Richter scale had struck the Himalayan nation. Sindhupalchok, one of the epicentres of the earthquake, had suffered the most.
Nepal has recieved several aftershocks since the 2015 quake. On September 16, a strong earthquake of 6 magnitude shook Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and surrounding areas on, forcing people to rush out of their houses.
-ARK
