KATHMANDU, Jan 5: Nearly nine months after the massive earthquake devastated the country, the government has finally given full shape to the newly-formed National Reconstruction Authority.
A cabinet meeting on Tuesday night gave full shape to the much-awaited body by appointing key members and forming both advisory council and directive committee of the body.
The decision has come 10 days after the government appointed Sushil Gyewali as the chief executive officer of the body that is entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the overall reconstruction and rehabilitation tasks in the earthquake-hit districts.
Karnali cabinet gets full shape
The government expedited the task of giving full shape to the body after the parliament endorsed the bill to form the Authority in mid-December.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday decided to form an advisory council headed by the prime minister while former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who is also the president of the main opposition party Nepali Congress, is its vice-president. Deputy prime ministers (DPMs) CP Mainali, Bhim Rawal, Chitra Bahadur KC, Top Bahadur Raymajhi and ministers Ram Kumar Subba and Ramjanam Chaudhary are its members. They represent various political parties.
Similarly, seven former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba, Baburam Bhattarai, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Khilraj Regmi are members of the council.
Also, the directive committee, which is also headed by the prime minister, has been given full shape. Just like in the advisory committee, the leader of the main opposition is vice-chair in the directive committee as well.
“The National Reconstruction Authority has now got full shape as today’s cabinet meeting has made all the appointments for the body,” Minister for Information and Communication Sherdhan Rai, who is also the government spokesperson, said after the meeting. “The Authority will now work in full swing.”
Likewise, the government also appointed three other members in the executive committee which is headed by CEO Gyewali. Those newly-appointed members are former secretary Dhruba Prasad Sharma, engineers Chandra Bahadur Shrestha and Bishnu Bahadur Bhandari.
Meanwhile, the cabinet has approved the government’s decision to construct a helipad in each VDC and municipality.
