Rautahat — The government began disbursing the first instalment of reconstruction grants to flood-affected families across the eastern and central Terai on Wednesday, four months after monsoon floods destroyed or damaged more than 38,000 homes.
Eligible households will receive Rs 100,000 in an initial tranche, with two further instalments tied to construction milestones, mirroring the model used after the 2015 earthquake. The National Reconstruction Authority said cheques and mobile-banking transfers had reached roughly 6,000 families by Wednesday evening, with the rest expected within six weeks.
Local officials in Rautahat and Saptari districts said many families were still living in temporary shelters and urged faster disbursement ahead of the approaching winter. "Every week of delay is a week longer in a tarpaulin tent," said ward chair Sunita Yadav. The Authority said it had allocated Rs 18 billion for the full reconstruction programme.