KATHMANDU, Nov 3: A total of Rs 18 billion has been collected in the Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund, operated by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Assistant spokesperson at the Prime Minister’s Office, Rajan Bhattarai, confirmed that the fund had received the amount so far. According to a senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office and Council of Ministers, the fund had contained only Rs 2.17 billion before the Bhotekoshi floods.
The fund allocated Rs 1 billion to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) for rescue and relief operations for flood victims in Bhotekoshi. However, the authority has released only Rs 370 million so far, said its spokesperson, Ram Bahadur KC.
According to KC, the money has been distributed to 15 affected local governments and security agencies. He said the authority already had Rs 7 billion in its account before receiving an additional Rs 1 billion from the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
"We have been assured that additional funds will be released as soon as they are needed," KC said.
According to the authority, there are currently 11 holding centres in Nuwakot, Dhading and Rasuwa. These centres accommodate 67 flood victims in Nuwakot, 229 in Rasuwa and 129 in Dhading.
The respective local governments and various non-governmental organisations are managing the holding centres and covering their expenses.
Relief provided to 370 flood victims
Families unwilling to stay at the holding centres are being provided financial assistance for accommodation and livelihood expenses for up to six months. A family of up to four members receives Rs 15,000, with an additional Rs 2,000 for each member in families larger than four.
Officials at the authority said the money was being distributed through local governments to support flood victims.
According to the authority, the Bhotekoshi floods have so far claimed 1,457 lives, while 5,285 people remain missing.
The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction has also built 50 temporary housing units in Bidur Municipality for flood victims. International non-governmental organisations funded the construction, department officials said, adding that the Nepal government has not spent any money on the project.
The department arranged the land for the temporary shelters and prepared their designs.
The temporary housing units were completed before Dashain for people displaced by the Bhotekoshi floods. However, no flood victims have moved in so far.
Department officials said some families had declined to move in because the location was inconvenient, while others had cited different reasons. They expect some flood victims to move into the shelters within the next few days.
Rs 260 million spent on helicopter flights
According to NDRRMA spokesperson KC, around Rs 260 million has so far been spent on helicopter flights for search and rescue operations following the Bhotekoshi floods.
The authority has paid these expenses directly rather than through local governments.
Private helicopter operators conducted 2,794 flights to rescue flood victims and have submitted bills totalling Rs 130 million to the authority. Similarly, the Nepal Army conducted 2,068 flights.
"Our preliminary estimate is that the Nepal Army has also incurred a similar expense, around Rs 130 million, but we have not yet received its bill," KC said.
How can the fund be spent?
NDRRMA spokesperson KC maintained that the money collected for flood victims was being spent on rescue and relief operations.
Under the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund Operation Regulations, 2063, money collected in the fund can be used to rescue people affected or potentially affected by natural disasters and protect their property. It can also be used to establish temporary camps for immediate relief and purchase essential supplies, including food, clothing, medicines and educational materials, required for victims' sustenance and livelihood.
The regulations also allow the fund to cover medical treatment for people injured or falling ill as a result of natural disasters. Financial assistance can be provided to the relatives of those who die in disasters to cover funeral and last rites expenses. The money can also be used to dispose of waste and address pollution caused by natural disasters.
Other permitted uses include building temporary shelters or arranging rehabilitation for disaster victims, providing financial assistance to repair victims' homes and tools or workshops related to their professions, conducting public awareness programmes on disaster prevention, and implementing precautionary measures and disaster preparedness activities.
However, the regulations prohibit using the fund to pay remuneration, salaries, allowances or other benefits to government or non-government employees. It also cannot cover their travel expenses or similar costs.
The fund cannot be used to provide donations, prizes, gifts or grants to individuals, or to offer financial assistance for purposes unrelated to natural disasters.
