September 17, 2007	Monday	Ramazan 04, 1428

MANSEHRA, Sept 16: The Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra) has asked the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) to quickly clear pending housing compensations because more than 17,000 quake-hit families are yet to rebuild damaged houses.

Dawn has learnt that an urgent meeting of Erra officials, Mansehra district administration and the army was held after earthquake survivors from various union councils of Balakot held protest demonstrations against the SRSP and PPAF. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the survivors.

Erra’s in-charge Brig Waqar Ahmad criticised the performance of the SSRP and PPAF and asked them to pay the compensation and said that even two years after the earthquake, people in four union councils of Balakot and three union councils in Mansehra had not been able to start rebuilding their damaged houses.

He said that families who had either migrated or their house were swept away in landslides triggered by the earthquake should be paid compensation within 45 days.

He also advised the departments concerned to ease rules and regulations, benefiting the survivors.

Sources privy to the meeting said the representative of the earthquake affected families, Muhammad Munsif, had praised the meeting’s outcome but warned that if the compensation was not paid within due time, the quake survivors would take strict action, adding that they had not been paid compensation despite clear instructions of President Pervez Musharraf.

Accusing SRSP and Erra officials of plundering funds meant for quake survivors, he is reported to have said that if the SRSP and Erra did not pay the amount within the given time, “we will not allow these organizations to work in the quake-hit areas”.