April 20, 2006	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 21, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, April 19: Deputy Secretary General of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Liaquat Baloch has said that payment of Rs175,000 for reconstruction of houses in the earthquake-hit areas is inadequate and criticised the government for failing to pool sufficient resources for rehabilitation of affected people.

Speaking at a news conference here, Mr Baloch said initial estimates of reconstruction and rehabilitation expenses were put at $15 to $16 billion, but the government had not been able to provide even $1 billion so far and no one knew exactly how much money had been received and how much more was expected.

Responding to a question, he refuted reports that the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) had threatened to quit the NWFP and Balochistan governments and said that no such move was under consideration in the party.

He also disputed a report which suggested that some senior functionaries of the NWFP government were enjoying higher perks and protocol than others in violation of the religious alliance’s commitment to end the VIP culture.

The MMA leader, who is also chief of the JI Punjab, said that most of the NGOs who had come from all over the world and across the country to provide help in rescue and relief operations in quake-hit areas had mostly wound up their operations and returned home. This, he said, was a matter of concern for the affected people.

The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra), he said had not taken the governments of the NWFP and AJK into confidence while planning rehabilitation work, which had triggered a wave of resentment in these areas.

When his attention was drawn to complaints of preliminary compensation payment of Rs25,000 made to some undeserving people, depriving many who deserved it, Mr Baloch said such complaints should be addressed by the governments concerned.

He said there had been many complaints, particularly in the NWFP, that revenue department by disregarding the criteria and in return of gratifications and deprived a large number of deserving people.

He appealed to philanthropists to continue their financial support at least for one year to enable rehabilitation of the displaced people.

He said there was uncertainty in the quake-hit areas of the NWFP and AJK and people were waiting for a clear-cut policy regarding their place of rehabilitation after seismic assessments.

He said that the government had been seeking more publicity than it deserved for whatever relief operations were carried out under its supervision.

He said that as many as 25,000 people had been rendered jobless in the quake-hit areas and they needed to be provided with jobs and a means of livelihood.