Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality to Insure Permanent Houses and Government Buildings
May 25, Gorkha – The Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality in Gorkha has decided to insure private houses and government buildings within its jurisdiction. On Monday, the municipality signed an agreement with National Insurance Company Limited regarding this initiative. According to Chief Administrative Officer Chitrabahadur Adhikari, the plan was launched by insuring the administrative building of the municipality. “The agreement was finalized today, and we will soon issue a public notification for insurance,” he said. “Interested homeowners can submit applications along with the required documents to the ward office.” The applications received at the ward level will be collected and forwarded to the insurance company, he added.
Each house and building will be insured for up to NPR 400,000. Compensation of up to this amount will be provided to affected owners based on the extent of damage. The insurance will cover plastered houses constructed with bricks and cement as well as stone, brick, and mud houses built after the earthquake. However, fully temporary structures made of wood, tin, or mud, houses in the Budhigandaki flooding area, as well as houses located on public land and within road setbacks, will not be covered under the insurance.
The municipality has been collecting a minimum amount of NPR 250 from each homeowner annually as property tax, and this fund will be used to provide the insurance, explained Chief Administrative Officer Adhikari. The insurance program aims to provide compensation for damages caused by disasters to houses. “The municipality would otherwise need to gather a large sum to pay compensation directly, which is why we decided to partner with an insurance company,” he said. The agreement was signed by Niranjan Acharya, Head of the Risk Assessment Department of the insurance company, and Lokprasad Banjara, Chairperson of the municipality. The contract is valid for one year with the possibility of extension.
