PESHAWAR, Nov 1: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said that 6,000 low-cost houses, sponsored by some philanthropists, will be built for the affected people of tehsil Alai in Battagram, before the beginning of snowfall in the quake-hit northeastern belt of the province.

Talking to newsmen after the assembly session on Tuesday, Mr Durrani said people from different walks of life, who had contacted him, were ready to contribute in the rehabilitation of the affected people. Some noted philanthropists would jointly construct 6,000 houses in the devastated Alai town and its surrounding villages.

The government was using its all resources to provide relief to quake victims, but, it also faced with greater difficulties owing to the closure of roads linking villages with main towns, he added.

He said he himself was encamped in Abbottabd and supervising the relief operation being conducted in Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Battle, Alai, Balakot, Garhi Habibullah and remote parts of Thandiyani, Abbottabad. At present the affected families staying in different government buildings and open grounds were in dire needs of tents, blankets and warm clothes to protect themselves from the approaching winter. After the removal of landslides from the roads, volunteers had succeeded in making contact with the people marooned in the inaccessible villages.

He said he had ordered all the five district coordination officers (DCOs) to restore dried up water springs and damaged tube wells immediately and ensure water supply to the affected people. Mr Durrani said he had transferred millions of rupees in the DCOs account to get solved the problems in shortest possible time.

He had also advised the DCOs to conduct a survey of flattened houses in the hilly areas and provide Rs25,000 to every affected family for the construction of one-room house to ward off cold season. For this purpose, he said, President Pervez Musharraf had approved Rs1 billion.

The NWFP government needed more than Rs18 billion to construct its school, hospitals and other buildings destroyed in the quake-hit zone and over Rs40 billions for the rehabilitation of affected people.

He praised the role of world relief and charity organizations who made a quick response to the sufferings of the affected people and dispatched truckloads of relief goods for the needy people.

He said foreign doctors and engineers were also engaged in the relief efforts. The national and foreign philanthropists had assured him that they would construct new cities in the surroundings of destroyed towns, he added.

He said he had formed district relief committees comprising area MNAs, senators, MPAs, district nazims, DCOs, tehsil nazims, union council nazims and one military officer stationed in the affected district to monitor the payment of compensations to the bereaved families, injured individuals and the head of each affected family for construction of one-room house.

He said opposition leader Shahzada Gistasip had been included as member into the provincial relief fund.

He said three residential centres had been established in Hayatabad, Charsadda Road and at Jalozai for affected women and children and he thought it would be sufficient to accommodate them for a long period.

He said the provincial government would take care of orphans and widows in future.

Replying to another question, he said a tripartite committee comprising NWFP government, federal government and Wapda would look into the demands of the provincial government and settle net hydel profit issue once for all.