ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: Representatives of civil society, media and academic institutions from across the country have formed “Citizens’ Commission on Rehabilitation and Reconstruction” to ensure transparency in relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts including the public disclosure of all plans, receipts and expenditures.

According to a statement issued by the Commission’s Secretariat set up at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Wednesday, the commission would ensure a much higher level of preparedness for future emergencies including much faster and better coordinated relief measures and a clear delegation of responsibilities.

The commission would ensure delivery of fair compensation to all eligible affected persons, especially women and children, and help file claims on behalf of those losing lives and assets due to legally culpable violation of due regulatory procedures.

It would also ensure that reconstruction was just, sustainable, participatory and supportive of the dignified restoration of livelihoods, said the statement.

The commission would also ensure that reconstruction conforms to the best practices relevant for construction in the ecology of the disaster-affected areas. It will hold all organizations and agencies involved in the recovery process accountable on behalf of citizens.

The commission will foster a better understanding of the systemic socio-economic and political reasons for the unduly excessive loss of lives and property compared to the comparative shocks elsewhere.

The commission calls for a clear statement of the obligations of various organs of the state in such emergencies and division of responsibilities between its various organs and other actors. It also demands decentralisation of the rehabilitation and reconstruction activities and their devolution to the state and local governments of the affected areas.

It also demands prompt release of the forthcoming reports on reconstruction estimates and recommendations being formulated by the international donors.

The commission will form its local chapters and citizens’ committees to monitor the rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in their jurisdictions.

As a primary vehicle for monitoring the rehabilitation and recovery process, the commission agreed to issue, in collaboration with the NGOs active in the earthquake-affected areas, regular factsheets and consolidated three-monthly reports on the state of the earthquake-affected areas detailing stated targets and actual achievements with identification of major gaps and recommendations for remedial actions.

The founder members of the commission expressed their concerns over the inadequate response of the state to the October 8 earthquake and highlighted the remedial responses that could have been undertaken by the state and civil society.

The commission expressed concern over the lack of preparedness, slow mobilisation of rescue operations and poor coordination of relief efforts among different government agencies, and the inability to prevent price gouging.

The members felt that the centralised nature of the response, exclusion of relevant stakeholders and representatives from the planning for reconstruction and the government’s unwillingness to re-orient its priorities needed to be rectified on an urgent basis.