December 28, 2008	Sunday	Zilhaj 29, 1429

MANSEHRA, Dec 27: Earthquake survivor families of the Oghi tehsil have urged the government to reconstruct damaged infrastructure and pay them outstanding instalments of the housing compensation amount.

They warned that they would launch a protest campaign against the government and the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority if their demands were not accepted.

The Sungi Developmental Organisation, a non-governmental organisation, arranged an open forum in Oghi on Friday to make a joint strategy to address the issues of the quake survivors and constitute a disaster management forum to cope with natural calamities.

“Though some of the non-governmental organisations worked for rehabilitation of the survivors and reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure, but Erra did not do anything practical for them,” said one of the speakers on the occasion.

Mohammad Alim, Iqbal Khan Swati, Mehraj Yousaf and other participants said that over three years had passed since the October 8, 2005, earthquake, but hundreds of the affected families were still deprived of their housing compensation amount, and roads, schools, basic health units and streets could not be reconstructed.

“Erra has failed to come up to the expectations. Its mandate was to address the survivors’ grievances and rehabilitate them, and reconstruct the damaged infrastructure,” they said.

They said survivor families of the affected union councils of the Balakot tehsil were still looking towards the government to address their issues and pay them the remaining house compensation amount.

They said that because of the severe cold in the region, aged people and children were falling prey to various diseases.

They appreciated the role of the organisers of the forum in imparting training to community members in coping with natural calamities.