ISLAMABAD: The government has recently stated that no more than 25 per cent of the pledged $6.2 billion will be made available in the next three to four months by the international donors towards relief and reconstruction in areas hit by Oct 8 earthquake.
It is said to have distributed over Rs14 billion as compensation for the loss of life and limb and destruction of property but it is yet to go a long way towards meeting actual requirements of victims.
There are, however, many complaints about people who have been left out in terms of payment of compensation and as many complaints about false claimants, which needs immediate investigation.
So far, the payment of compensation has been made from the presidential relief fund, which has reportedly swelled to around Rs10 billion. Philanthropists, charitable trusts and other individuals have donated millions of rupees in cash and kind but have preferred to route their donations using private resources mainly because of their lack of trust on the government.
The government has tried its best to remove suspicions about misuse of relief funds by appointing a committee of eminent persons, allowing audit both by the auditor-general and private auditors and above all proposing a parliamentary committee comprising all opposition parliamentary parties heads.
A big scam seems to be brewing so far as the army’s rescue and relief role is concerned. There is no doubt at all about the army jawans doing a commendable job in providing relief to the people in inaccessible mountainous areas, streamlining distribution of relief goods among victims and restoring traffic on major roads but the question is that how far this job was selfless and out of humanitarian feelings. There are reports afloat that the army was charging large amounts on logistics and TA/DA for the forces deployed for quake relief.
The government, already facing pressure from the world as well as the opposition for handing over the relief and reconstruction work to the bodies headed by serving generals, must come up with a clear reply to the charges of army’s consuming a major portion of the relief funds in its logistics and allowances.
There is also the fact that Rs100,000 compensation fixed for a person’s death of each member of the family is too meagre, as this amount was fixed more than 20 years ago as compensation in disaster-hit areas. Despite its earlier promises, the government paid compensation to only one dead from each family in the earthquake-hit areas.
Similarly, the government has ended up providing only Rs25,000 for erecting temporary structures in contrast to its previous pledge of constructing model towns in place of towns devastated by earthquakes. It has now committed to provide the next instalment of Rs150,000 after February with the beginning of construction of regular houses.
The question haunting many minds is why the government is retreating from its promise of constructing destroyed colonies.
Despite claims and counter claims, the fact remains that the government’s relief agencies, including helicopter service, more than 25pc of the hard-hit population living above the snowline is still without sufficient food and proper protection against extreme cold.
NGOs, particularly those accused of being involved in jihadi activities and terrorism, were on the forefront providing humanitarian assistance and erecting huge camps in almost all the quake-hit areas. The UN is also doing whatever it can to provide relief to the victims in the shape of temporary shelters, medical aid and sanitation.
