ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: Chief Relief Commissioner Major General Farooq Ahmad Khan has conceded that conditions in some tent villages are alarming and the camp management needs a lot of improvement. Addressing a press briefing here, he said an advisory had been issued to local governments, asking them to ensure that “standards are maintained in the camps”.

He said prevention of outbreak of diseases in camps “is something the Commission is concerned about”. He said the population “is not used to living in this kind of environment. Instructions on hygiene are being published to create awareness among them”.

He said it was a critical task to prevent outbreak of diseases, but all-out efforts would be made to improve hygienic conditions in the camps.

Answering a question, he rejected the impression that the opening of the Line of Control (LoC) was an exercise in futility. He said the decision “reflects farsightedness of President General Pervez Musharraf”.

He said the two countries had exchanged some relief goods as a result of the opening of LoC and in the next phase divided Kashmiri families would be able to meet.

Replying to a question, he said nobody will be forcibly evacuated from the tent village in H-11, Islamabad. He, however, said the AJK government “is building tent villages in its territory and the people will have to voluntarily move there, once work is finished”.

He said that relief goods from any political party had not forcibly been taken by the commission to distribute them in the quake-hit areas. He said those wanting to distribute relief goods themselves are not stopped from doing that. “It is not a political issue but a humanitarian cause.”

He rejected as baseless a report about abduction of two girls from a camp in Islamabad.

He said doubts expressed by some people about proper utilization of relief funds were uncalled for. These funds will be disbursed under a clearly defined plan in a transparent manner.

He said all of the total 2775 villages affected by the earthquake in Azad Kashmir and the NWFP had been accessed.

General Farooq said the government had set a priority of erecting one tent for one family in order to immediately rehabilitate the quake-stricken people.