PESHAWAR, Dec 5: Joint teams of civil administration, army and elected local representatives have so far disbursed Rs5252.1 million among the people who suffered human and material losses in the October 8 earthquake in five districts of the NWFP, says an official handout.

According to it, Rs1831.1 million was paid to next of kin of dead and injured and Rs3421 million was disbursed among those whose house were damaged.

A total of Rs1354.845 million was given to the heirs of dead and injured in Mansehra including Kala Dhaka, Rs289.18 million in Battagram, Rs62.175 million in Abbottabad, Rs58.48 million in Kohistan and Rs66.42 million in Shangla district.

Payment of compensation to those whose houses were either destroyed or damaged is in progress.

So far, the civil administration has paid Rs1985.925 million to such people in Mansehra district, Rs403.975 million in Battagram, Rs423.75 million in Abbottabad, Rs197.925 million in Kohistan and Rs409.425 million in Shangla district.

The compensation is being paid in the light of a report compiled by the joint damage assessment teams comprising representatives of the army, revenue department and local councillors and nazims of union councils of respective districts.

The process of payment of compensation has been expedited to enable affected people to start construction of their houses in the wake of severe cold in the area.

By the virtue of having better knowledge about the affected people and losses caused by the quake, public representatives at grass root level have been involved in identifying the victims to ensure transparency in the exercise.

Meanwhile, the army continued relief and rehabilitation activities in the affected areas of the province. The army engineers removed 80 trucks of rubble from a hotel and a government building and demolished severely damaged shops in Balakot city.

Army Aviation helicopters flew 10 sorties from the main operational base in Mansehra to the remote areas and airlifted relief goods including tents, blankets, quilts, ration and medicines.

One sortie was flown from PAF base Chaklala to Balakot to drop supplies.

United Nations MI-8 helicopters flew 12 sorties carrying 12 tons of ration and 12 tons of shelters to Behsam, Gadar and Herkodly.

As many as 63 trucks loaded with 389 tents, 1,880 blankets and quilts, 309.474 tons ration and other relief goods were sent from Mansehra to Garhi Habibullah, Balakot, Shinkiari, Battagram and other affected areas.

Army parties delivered 7,060 kilogrammes of relief goods, 2,561 tents and 3,857 blankets to the affected people in Balakot, Kala Dhaka, Shangla, Battal, Shinkiari and Battagram areas.—APP