September 22, 2006	Friday	Sha'aban 28, 1427

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MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 21: Activists of a hardline organisation of Kashmiri students took to the streets here on Thursday in a ‘barefoot protest’ against the federal and AJK government authorities dealing with reconstruction and rehabilitation related issues in the quake-hit zone.

The Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation workers crawled on the road during their march in sweltering heat. This was the second such protest in five months.

“Down with Erra, Down with Serra,” they shouted, referring to Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority and AJK’s State Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency.

“The funds provided by the international donors must be administered through the United Nations and not under control of Pakistan army,” read one banner.

Another in Urdu urged the international community to take stock of “malpractices of Erra, Serra and Pakistan army.”

“These organisations are supposed for quake survivors’ rehabilitation but practically they are doing nothing except merry-making,” alleged NSF leader Raja Sabah, as he and others delivered speeches outside the press club at the end of their march.

The Erra teams are currently carrying out survey of the damaged houses in the AJK capital to determine the compensation money to be paid to their owners.

The NSF leaders accused the survey teams of not carrying out their job fairly which they said was consequently depriving the survivors of their legitimate share of compensation.

“These teams are classifying most of the houses in the lower two categories and demand bribe from survivors to register their houses in the top category,” said Ejaz Rajput, former NSF president.

Raja Sabah demanded that the army installations should be shifted from Muzaffarabad to the peripheries and town’s landless survivors should be provided plots on those lands for construction of houses.