November 30, 2008	Sunday	Zilhaj 1, 1429

MANSEHRA, Nov 29: The District Reconstruction Unit (DRU) approved Rs300 million for six mega projects here in its meeting on Saturday.

The monthly review meeting of the DRU was held with District Nazim Sardar Mohammad Yousaf in the chair in which all the executive district officers of government departments and district coordinator officer were present.

Participants of the meeting approved the reconstruction of four basic health units (BHUs), which would be reconstructed after acquiring 25 kanals of land as the BHUs had been swept away in landsliding during the October 8, 2005 earthquake.

According to sources, the meeting unanimously gave approval for the purchase of land for the reconstruction of 50 schools. Among others, 80 kanals of land would also be acquired for the construction of the SOS village.

It was also decided to construct a district complex and district secretariat, and for this purpose 100 kanals of land would be acquired where almost all offices of the government departments would be shifted to speed up the official work and bring coordination among various departments. For the construction of the Social Welfare Office, eight kanals of land would be acquired at Ghazikot area.

Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Yousaf said that a big task was ahead of the district government as despite lapse of over three years thousands of buildings could not be reconstructed. He said that until all departments did not work jointly, survivors of the disaster could not be rehabilitated in the next ten years.

Mr Yousaf stressed upon the Erra to expedite the reconstruction and rehabilitation process in the affected areas as so far hardly 70 school buildings out of 1292 had been rebuilt. Same was the case in the health sector where only six basic health units and hospitals could be rebuilt during the last three years after the tragedy.