KATHMANDU: Nepal Army has constructed 869 houses under the People Shelter Reconstruction Program in Bara and Parsa districts.  These shelters have been constructed at various local levels in the two districts.

The structures would be handed over to the families affected by a devastating tornado that hit the two districts on March 31.

Twenty-seven people were killed and property worth billions of rupees was damaged due to the tornado, first of its kind recorded in Nepal.

The government had given the responsibility of rebuilding the houses of the tornado affected families to the Nepal Army. The Army constructed the shelters in three stages by dividing the districts into 12 clusters.

The government had earmarked Rs 846.876 million for the house reconstruction project and each house was constructed at a cost of Rs 546,985 including the value-added tax, it is stated. Two thousand six hundred sixty-five army personnel and 3,677 civilians were mobilized for the house construction project.

Acting Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ishwar Pokharel is scheduled to hand over the shelters to the affected families on September 4, Wednesday, Nepal Army has stated.