PESHAWAR, Oct 25: The federal government has provided Rs1 billion to the Frontier province for extending relief to people in five districts of the province affected by the Oct 8 earthquake, according to official sources.

Instructions about release of the fund were given by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during the National Security Council’s meeting held on Oct 12.

The fresh disbursement will raise total amount released so far to the province for relief activities to Rs 1.5 billion.

Earlier, an amount of Rs 500 million was put at the disposal of the provincial government for the distribution of compensation among the affected families.

Apart from the Rs 1.5 billion provided by the federal government, the government of Punjab has released Rs 50 million and Sindh government Rs 10 million to the NWFP as financial help to carry out relief activities in the quake hit areas of the province.

Some 13,643 people have died and about 25,500 injured as a result of earthquake in Mansehra, Battagram and Abbottabad districts.

The NWFP government is of the view that the total number of people dead in the province stands at 38,172 including 13,643 counted deaths and more than 24,000 unconfirmed casualties.

The provincial government in the relief commissioner’s office, projected the number of casualties to 38,172 a few days back after the Mansehra district government reported that more than 24,000 people were reportedly missing — believed to have been buried alive under the debris of the collapsed structures.

Among the counted victims, some 8,171 have been reported dead in Mansehra district, 3,900 in Battagram district, 415 in Shangla district, 515 in Abbottabad district, 622 in Kohistan district, seven in Swat district, three in Peshawar district, nine in Buner district and one in Mardan district.

While the funds provided by the federal government have not yet been utilized in terms of making compensation payments to the families of the victims, the provincial government has released Rs 370 million to the provincial relief commissioner for carrying out relief activities and paying compensation to families who have suffered casualties.

“We have distributed over Rs 350 million among the district governments for onward distribution among the families of the victims,” said an official of the relief commissioner’s office. However, the funds provided by the federal government could not have been distributed among the affected families because of procedural difficulties.

Federal government wanted the province to distribute compensation among the affected families through committees at the union council level.

Each of the committees, said the sources, would involve

one representative each

of the provincial government and Pakistan army, whereas, nazim of the union council concerned would head the committees of the union council concerned.

“As army has not yet given names of their representatives for the committees, therefore, the distribution of compensation funds could not be commenced,” said an official.