Govt urged to come up with solid plan for Int'l reconstruction Conference

KATHMANDU, June 23: The Good Governance and Monitoring Committee of the Legislature-Parliament has urged the government to come up with a concrete plan of reconstruction in the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction scheduled for June 25.

A meeting of the committee held on Tuesday also directed the National Planning Commission to immediately formulate a master plan for setting up integrated settlements at many places in the earthquake-ravaged districts in course of the new construction after the earthquake.It drew the government's attention to prepare the master plan aimed at operating the government service-delivery mechanisms as educational, health and other services directly related to the people fixing the areas of reconstruction and new construction as well as the timeline. The geographical situation of the places should also be kept in mind while developing settlements, the committee reminded.

The committee took a decision to hold extensive discussions on the topics that need to be incorporated in the Ordinance Pertaining to the Constitution of an Authority on Reconstruction once it is presented in the Legislature-parliament as a Replacement Bill and assisting in making it further effective and streamlined.

Before this, the National Planning Commission (NPC) Vice Chairman Dr Govinda Raj Pokharel and Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudyal informed the meeting regarding the preparations on the report to be presented in the conference and on the Reconstruction Authority.

They said that an international standard report has been prepared on the reconstruction keeping in mind the reconstruction needs.

Based on the post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) report, it is estimated that Rs 669 billion would be required for the reconstruction and the new construction. The government has brought the ordinance on reconstruction with the target of completing the reconstruction within six years.

Dr Pokharel said in the meeting that not only the construction of the physical infrastructures, special attention would be given to the economic income generation and the social development aspects as well in the reconstruction plan.

Committee president Sherdhan Rai chaired the meeting. He demanded information from the government on the report being prepared to take the donors into confidence as well as on the home work done for the reconstruction. RSS

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