KATHMANDU, Dec 12: The government has decided to accept Rs 15.8 billion in aid offered by China for earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation. 

A cabinet meeting held at Singha Durbar on Sunday decided to accept the aid, said Minister for Information and Communications and government spokesman Surendra Karki.

China has pledged to provide US$ 76,692,700 (around Rs 83.59 billion) to the government of Nepal for the reconstruction and rehabilitation task. On the basis of the pledge, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has already reached agreement for various reconstruction projects worth US$ 610,000,000 so far.

The NRA has estimated that it required around Rs 938 billion for overall reconstruction and rehabilitation. During the international conference on Nepal's reconstruction held last year, various countries and donor agencies had pledged to provide Rs 410 billion, but the NRA has been able to sign agreements with donors for only Rs 272 billion so far.  

Similarly, the cabinet meeting has decided to make public property details of the prime minister and other cabinet ministers. 

Minister Karki said that the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) will immediately upload property details of all the ministers who have submitted them on the official website of the OPMCM immediately.

As per the law, anyone holding a public post should make public his/her property details within 60 days of assuming the office. But even after four months of the formation of the government, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and his cabinet ministers have yet to make public the property details. After this drew widespread public criticism, the meeting decided to make public property details of the prime minister. The Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal includes two deputy prime ministers, 23 ministers and 13 state ministers.  

Likewise, the cabinet has decided to formulate a directive to implement all the agreements reached between Dr Govinda KC and the government so far. "The bills committee of the OPMCM will study all the agreements reached between Dr KC and the government at different times, own the agreements and formulate a directive to implement them effectively," Minister Karki said. 

Likewise, the meeting has also decided to send a government delegation to India in order to explore other air routes for international flights. "So far, international flights come to Nepal only through a single route to the Tribhuvan International Airport, causing air traffic congestion. So, the meeting has decided to send a delegation to India to explore other alternative air routes," Minister Karki added. 

Also, the meeting decided to promote joint-secretary Suraj Pokharel to the post of secretary.     

 
• 15.8 billion
 
• chinese aid
 
• reconstruction