MANSEHRA: The district administration in consultation with a committee constituted by the chief minister has decided to allot plots in the New Balakot City to over 3,600 Balakot families, who had survived the Oct 2005 earthquake.

Member of the chief minister’s committee Saith Matiullah told reporters here on Tuesday that documents of the ownership of New Balakot City plots would be given away to the earthquake-surviving families in the first week of Dec free of charge.

He said the committee and administration had already asked the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority to finish work on roads, streets, pavements, mosques and health facilities in the settlement for the allotment of plots to the survivors, who currently lived in makeshift shelters.

Mr Matiullah said the quake survivors would get plots measuring seven, 10 and 15 marlas and one kanal and would build houses on them by themselves.

The New Balakot City project was inaugurated by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007.

Work on it was slated to be completed in 2012 but the dispute over land prices delayed it.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017