NA expedites construction of ‘holding centres’

Kathmandu: The Nepali Army (NA) has accelerated the construction of holding centres in various eight places across the country in view of minimizing the risk of COVID-19.

Chief of Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma in the first quarterly review meeting of the fiscal year 2021/22 in the Ministry of Defence shared that the construction process of seven holding centres has witnessed over 60 per cent physical progress to date.

He said, “Process is underway to construct a one-storey building which could be used for another purpose in future too. Only 50 per cent of the total allocated budget has been released for the same.”

Holding centres are being built at Gaddachauki along with Nepal-India border point in Kanchanpur district, Gaurifanta in Kailali, Kakadvitta in Jhapa district, Rani in Morang district, Krishnanagar in Kapilvastu, Birgunj in Parsa district, Banke in Nepalgunj and Belhiya in Rupandehi.

Each holding centre will have at least 1,000 beds to temporarily house COVID-19 suspected and infected people. In the lack of land in Rupandehi, holding centre related works could not be taken forward, according to the Ministry of Defence.

A target has been set to complete the construction of holding centres at a cost of Rs 2 billion.