MIRPUR: The Mangla Dam Resettlement Organisation has so far evacuated and resettled over 12,000 Mangla Dam affected persons on lands in West Pakistan and in addition quite a large number of them have got cash compensation, a spokesman of the organisation stated.

Another 20,000 affected persons will be resettled in the New Mirpur town where allotment of plots for the construction of houses is going on briskly by the Allotment Committee headed by the Commissioner, Mangla Dam Affairs. The new town is being built in place of the existing Mirpur town which will [be submerged by the] Mangla Lake after the completion of the Dam in 1967.

The spokesman added that the construction of public buildings, roads, schools and water storage tank was in progress in the new town. Two tubewells have already been installed.

The spokesman also revealed that a contract for the construction of government residential buildings amounting to Rs57 lakhs had recently been awarded and construction of these buildings would start before the month is out. Tenders for another group of public buildings amounting to about Rs50 lakhs will be floated tomorrow.

According to the programme, the public buildings will be ready by the middle of 1966.

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, Sep 15th, 2014