445 conflict-damaged buildings restored

KATHMANDU, Sep 5: The Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Road (DoLIDAR) under the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) has commissioned around 445 projects in the fiscal year 2010/2011 alone.  The department renovated 244 Village Development Committees (VDCs), 110 government schools, 19 health posts, 16 agriculture and veterinary offices and 56 other buildings in the fiscal year.  “We completed renovation of around 445 government buildings that includes VDC offices, government schools and health posts, among others, against the target of 812,” said Lok Nath Regmi, senior divisional engineer and chief of DoLIDAR. He added that the remaining 367 buildings would be completed in the upcoming fiscal. According to the data provided by Department of Urban Development and Building Construction under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, 5,400 government buildings were destroyed during the decade-long conflict. Various other units under the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction have been involved in the projects. The MoLD had allocated Rs. 9.8 million for the project while the department has demanded an additional Rs 284.43 million for the fiscal year 2011/2012. “We have been unable to meet the target as the proposed programs have been revised time and again,” said Regmi. He added local problems and geographical factors have stood as major problems. The department in the fiscal year 2007/2008 spent Rs 28.97 million for 261 projects against the target of 659, while in the fiscal year 2008/2009 the department spent Rs 15.43 million to complete 22 projects.