Pokhara, Jan. 21: Nepal Habitat for Humanity Pokhara is to build l52 inexpensive houses for the poor in need of housing in Pokhara Sub-Municipal Corporation and nearby VDCs by 2002.

By the end of l999, 33 such houses had been completed and this  number will rise to l82 by 2004.

Nhfh provides interest free loans of Rs 80,000 to homeless families with one ropani of land but no land elsewhere.

The loans are repayable in eight years, according to coordinator Subas Bhandari.

Nhfh has implemented its programme in Dibyanagar, Chitwan,  Tikapur, Kailali and in Surkhet also.

So far, 53 houses have been completed in Tikapur and 34 in Dibyanagar.

Habitat for Humanity International (hfhi) to which nhfh is affiliated, was founded by Millard Fuller in Georgia, usa 22 years ago.

So far hfhi has built over 80,000 houses in 64 countries, and another 20,000 houses are to be built in 2000.

Meanwhile, hfhi founder Fuller yesterday inspected the houses of Dev Raj Giri, Sarbe Pariyar and Sagar Giri at ward No l5 in Pokhara Sub Municipal Corporation and also handed over the keys to a house built at Kazipokhari in ward No l8 to Meena Kumari Gurung.

Addressing a function, fuller lauded the work done by the nhfh in Pokhara.