Kathmandu November 28.Seventeen houses built under the integrated housing programme by the Hyolmo Foundation on the initiatives of Mountain To Mountain, a Switzerland-based institution, have been handed over to the victims of the 2015 earthquake at Gaukharka of Dupcheshwor rural municipality-2 in Nuwakot district. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai, House of Representatives member Hit Bahadur Tamang, Deputy Speaker of State 3 Radhika Tamang and chairperson of Dupcheshwor rural municipality Yobindra Singh Tamang jointly handed the houses amid an event on Wednesday here. On the occasion, minister Bhattarai said the government’s first priority was to rebuilt houses and structures damaged in the quake. “The government is committed to rebuilding houses and structures ravaged by the quake and bringing livelihood programes targeting the quake survivors,” he said. Likewise, HoR member Tamang and the rural municipality chair Yobindra Singh uni vocally said there is a need to build new houses for those quake victims from also all villages of the rural municipalities. Also, Deputy Speaker of the state, Radhika commented on the reconstruction process as sluggish and not effective despite international aids pouring in.