Sindhupalchok, May 19, 2016:Â Better late than never. The government has recently decided to provide the Jure landslide victims with relief amount equal to that distributed to the earthquake victims.
Some two years ago, an artificial reservoir created by a massive landslide in Jure VDC claimed 145 lives in three VDCs of Sindhupalchowk district.
The victims of Jure landslide, who have not been rehabilitated since the last 21 months, heaved a sigh of relief following the government decision.
After the Central Disaster Relief Committee (CDRC) approved the decision of the District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) of Sindhupalchowk, the landside victims of Jure will be benefit from similar rehabilitation package which is being provided to the earthquake victims.
“Each household affected by the Jure landslide will receive Rs 200,000 – the same amount which is being provided to earthquake victims,” said Chief District Office (CDO) Gokarnamani Duwadi, who is also the coordinator of the Sindhupalchowk DDRC.
Following the CDRC’s approval, the landslide victims who have received identity cards will be provided with the rehabilitation package, according to the CDO.
As per the government’s decision, Rs 200,000 will be provided to each victim family as housing grant.
In the name of Jure landslide victims, the government had earlier collected a fund of Rs 202.4 million from the public. The fund, which is being managed by the home ministry, still remains idle. In lack of fund distribution guidelines and the occurrence of the devastating earthquake last year, the fund could not be distributed to the Jure landslide victims.
To avoid duplication, those landslide victims who have already been enlisted as earthquake victims will receive funds meant to be distributed to earthquake victims. Likewise, those landslide victims, whose names have not been included as earthquake victims, will be compensated from the fund managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, CDO Duwadi informed.
Likewise, Local Development Officer (LDO) Krishna Bahadur Shahi assured that the earthquake victims will get the housing grants and so will the landslide victims of Jure.
The landslide in the district some two years ago had displaced 207 households of four villages. It had swept 197 houses.
As per the recent revised data of DDRC, the toll of landslide affected households has mounted to 280. Out of them, 100 landslide-affected households have to be relocated.
