June 22, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1428

MANSEHRA, June 21: The Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority will pay Rs75,000 to 350 families living in the Jabba tent village before asking them to vacate the facility, it is learnt.

A meeting of the Return Task Force, comprising representatives of Erra, UN agencies, NG0s, army and the district government, held here on Thursday reviewed the government’s decision to wind up tent villages in earthquake-hit areas of the NWFP by July.

It also discussed demands of families living in the Jabba tent village, who have said they will leave the tent village only after landless displaced people are paid the compensation amount.

Talking to Dawn after the meeting, information officer for the UN-Habitat Mohammad Kamran said the agency would cooperate in collecting and verifying details of the landless people.

He said that in the first stage, the UN-Habitat would start collecting the data of the 350 families living in the Jabba tent village from June 23. For this purpose, he said, a land verification unit had been set up in the tent village.

He said another land verification unit would start functioning in Azad Kashmir from June 26. Such units would also be established in Mansehra, Balakot and the Neelum Valley soon.

REGISTRATION: Officials of the International Foundation for Election System (IFES) visited display centres of voters’ lists in earthquake-hit areas of Balakot, Narain and Kaghan on Thursday and collected information on the reasons for a lesser number of voters as compared to the previous list compiled in 2002, it is learnt.

The delegation comprising country director IFES, Mrs Barbara, assistant director Kalbrain and others visited the various voters’ display centres in Balakot, Narain, Kaghan and four union councils of Mansehra town and asked questions from those gathered there.