May 27, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1428

MANSEHRA, May 26: Thousands of earthquake survivors from Garhi Habibullah, Boi, Kukmung and Dalola union councils organised a protest demonstration here on Saturday against what they termed the faulty policies of the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra), Pera and NGOs working in the quake-affected areas.

The protesters blocked the Kashmir road. They demanded immediate release of the remaining compensation amount, saying the second instalment had not been paid to many survivors yet.

The government wrongly claimed that 90 per cent of the rehabilitation and reconstruction work had been completed, they said.

Carrying banners and placards, the protesters reached the main bazaar in Garhi Habibullah and burnt tyres to block the road. Traffic between the NWFP and Azad Kashmir remained suspended for over four hours as a result.

Addressing the protesters, the union nazim of Dalola Mohammad Shafee, union nazim of Boi Sardar Ali Zaman, nazim of Kukmung Khalid Gul and others strongly condemned the slow pace of the rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the quake-hit areas.

They said the Erra’s housing codes for the reconstruction of destroyed houses did not meet local requirements as it was complicated and costly.

So far the second instalment had been paid to 3,400 quake survivors in Dalola, 1,200 in Kukmung and 3,000 in Boi but the remaining 6,953 survivors were still doing without the same, they said.

They said the government had allowed Rs9.17 million for the first instalment for the aforesaid union councils, but some 2,200 quake survivors were still waiting for their first instalment. The authorities concerned were turning a deaf ear to their demands, they claimed.