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| October 18, 2005 | Tuesday | Ramzan 13, 1426 |
Quake-hit families get Rs130m cash aid
PESHAWAR, Oct 17: The NWFP government has distributed about Rs130 million in cash among families stricken by last week’s earthquake in the province. Speaking at a press conference here on Monday, information minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai said that the federal government had also released Rs500 million for the quake-hit areas, adding that relief activities were under way in full swing in the affected areas.
He, however, admitted that there was lack of coordination among various government agencies and relief organizations which caused mismanagement. This situation, he said, was multiplying problems of the victims.
He said that a large number of people in the far-flung areas had yet to receive relief goods. They were anxiously waiting for assistance to arrive.
Giving a district-wise breakdown of the compensation money distributed, Mr Daudzai said that in Battagram district the affected families had been paid Rs15,000,000, Shangla district Rs18,900,000, Abbottabad district Rs37,400,000, Kohistan district Rs7,000,000, Swat district Rs500,000, Buner district Rs200,000, Mardan district Rs100,000 and Peshawar district Rs300,000 at the rate of Rs100,000 per dead and Rs25,000 for the wounded.
Replying to a question, he said the government had completed all arrangements to relocate families from the affected areas to Peshawar and other districts where centres had been set up.
He said that the government had planned to set up a tent village in Haripur district for which land was being prepared.
Mr Daudzai said that relief activities were under way in the quake-hit areas of the five districts and the provincial government had distributed a total of 8,320 tents and over 2,000 blankets.
When asked about the prevailing lawlessness, he said the government had deployed 45 platoons of the Frontier Constabulary and three wings of the Frontier Corps in the five districts to maintain law and order, while army troops were also assisting the local administration.
He informed that three division troops had been dispatched to the quake zone who were carrying out extensive relief operation.
The minister said that teams from 13 countries had been carrying out rescue and relief operation, while a team from Ukraine would reach the area on Monday night.
UN agencies and NGOs had also set up relief camps and field hospitals in the region, he added.
APP adds: He said the death toll in the province had risen to 13,340 from Sunday’s figure of 13,208. The number of injured had touched the figure of 23,062, he added.
The minister said that the provincial government had received Rs500 million from the federal government. The centre, he added, had promised Rs1 billion for assistance and rehabilitation of the quake-hit people.
Apart from this, he added, the prime minister during his visit to Peshawar had assured that the NWFP government’s demand for Rs32 billion fund for reconstruction of basic infrastructure would be seriously considered.
Mr Iqbal said the government was trying its level best to open roads closed due to landslides and streamline supply of relief goods to the far-flung areas.
The minister, who is also in-charge of relief activities in the NWFP, suggested that elected representatives should be involved in the distribution of relief goods. He said elected representatives “can better supply goods to the deserving people of their union councils”, and added that he would contact Chief Relief Commissioner in this regard.
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