MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has approved a ‘special compensation package’ for the victims of Sept 24 Mirpur earthquake.

The approval to the amount and categories of compensation and other measures was given at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, at Mangla Rest House, according to an official press release issued on Wednesday.

Under the special package, Rs one million would be paid to legal heirs of each deceased, Rs800,000 to each person with permanent disability, Rs100,000 for severe injury, Rs20,000 for minor injuries, Rs 500,000 for destroyed house, Rs 200,000 for partially damaged house, Rs50,000 for fallen protection wall, Rs200,000 for damaged commercial dairy or poultry farm, Rs 100,000 for the loss of buffalo and cow, Rs15,000 for the loss of goat and sheep, Rs75,000 for the loss of small vehicle and Rs30,000 for the loss of motorcycle.

It is for the first time that the AJK government is compensating the losses of dairy and poultry farms, protection walls, cattle heads, cattle sheds and other properties, in addition to compensation for damaged houses and casualties, the press release said.

Prime Minister Haider directed the authorities concerned to compensate the victims through one-time payment and start process for provision of designs for new constructions from the village level.

The Mirpur Development Auth­ority (MDA), Physical Planning and Housing Department, Mangla Development and Housing Authority and district administration were asked to start their work without any delay.

The meeting decided to establish a district reconstruction unit and launch a mass awareness campaign on safe / seismic resistant constructions.

At the advent of the meeting, Fayyaz Ali Abbasi, senior member of the Board of Revenue, told the meeting that the survey of damaged properties had been completed.

According to him, 3,010 houses were destroyed and another 7,330 partially damaged during the quake. Moreover, about 375 dairy farms, 561 sheds and 1,101 other properties were also damaged.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Haider said that though the amount of compensation had been enhanced by three to five times, yet it could not compensate the actual losses.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2019