October 12, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 29, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Oct 11: The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) has developed earthquake-ravaged Chakothi as a model of integrated provisions of basic services in education, health, drinking water, sanitation and drainage.

The PPAF, through its partner organisation Mountain and Glacier Protection Organisation (MGPO), successfully completed various reconstruction facilities in Chakothi on the Line of Control and other areas devastated by the earthquake in 2005.

On the second anniversary of the deadly earthquake, the MGPO completed the construction of a rural health centre (RHC) and two high schools, one each for boys and girls, in the record time of seven months under proactive facilitation and guidance of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra), said a press release issued by the PPAF here on Thursday.

Constructed at the cost of Rs28.12 million, the RHC has state-of-the-art facilities including a filtration plant based on the technology developed by the Nasa for its space operation, full time patients care, facilities of family planning, dentalcare, gynaecological and obstetric care, pharmacy, laboratory for various tests, emergency, ENT facilities and a 24- hour ambulance besides accommodation for the staff.

Likewise, the Boys High School Chakothi opened by President Pervez Musharraf has been constructed at the cost of Rs30.46 million. This school has 11 classrooms, book and tuck shop, libraries for junior and senior sections, computer laboratory, playground and sports equipment, modern water and sanitation system besides a multi-purpose hall for teachers and students.

Intensive training of teachers posted at the school has been one of the salient features of this project.

Similarly, the Girls High School Chakothi, constructed at the cost of Rs30.46 million, is equipped with the facilities available at the boys high school.

The water supply scheme has been completed in record time and will provide potable water, piped through household connections, to over 300 households in Chakothi and its surroundings.

The PPAF is a partner of the Erra whose facilitation has been extremely important and the PPAF has been entrusted to reconstruct educational and health facilities in the earthquake- hit areas of the NWFP and AJK funded by the World Bank and the US Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy.