TOPICS: Reconstruction process in limbo The government and the Maoists are yet to agree on reconstruction activities. While the government rushes to reconstruct the ruined VDC buildings, police stations, health posts, post offices and other community buildings, the Maoist are reportedly opposed to such activities. Hence, they can be restored only after the formation of the eight-party government. Thanks to the destruction of repeater towers and telephone exchange buildings, many remote districts have been disconnected from the rest of the country. Similarly, the damage to health posts has denied people basic healthcare. Likewise, ruined school buildings are preventing students from continuing their education, while damage to electricity lines have disrupted developmental activities. In the absence of village development committee secretaries and without the cooperation between the government and the Maoists, the assessment process of the damages done has been postponed too. Among government bodies, the Home Ministry and its line agencies have incurred the severest losses. Indirect economic cost and human cost are yet to be calculated. According to the World Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy 2004-2007, the economic cost of the decade-long insurgency has been 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, including infrastructure damage. Over one-third of all of 3,900 VDC buildings have been destroyed. The Madhesi movement in Tarai has only resulted in more infrastructure damages. As yet, no concrete data is available to gauge the overall damage. The National Planning Commission (NPC) recently came up with an estimate of three billion rupees for renovation and reconstruction of various line agencies. According to NPC, the Home Ministry alone has demanded Rs.1.10 billion for reconstruction and rehabilitation. The Ministry of Local Development, Rs 680 million; Department of Road, Rs 116 million rupees; Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Rs. 266. 5 million; Ministry of Information and Communication, Rs.125 million; Nepal Electricity Authority, Rs. 150 million; Department of Irrigation, Rs.39 million; and Ministry of Education and Sports has demanded Rs. 44 million. Added to these will be costs incurred in removal of landmines, bunkers and other such obstructions from the decade-long insurgency. As all the major political forces are wrangled in disputes, concrete and enforceable policies on reconstruction might still be long time in the coming. The ruined public buildings and damaged infrastructure of the cou-ntryside are a constant reminder of the brutal nature of an armed conflict. Although the process of reconstruction is yet to start in earnest, the rural inhabitants of Nepal have shown great enthusiasm to start their lives anew with the halt in hostilities. Let us hope the formation of the eight-party government will help expedite the much-needed process of reconstruction and rehabilitation and pave the way for building of a new Nepal.