PESHAWAR, Dec 13: The NWFP government will take over control of all tent villages set up in the province for earthquake-affected people and the federal government has been informed about the decision.

This was stated at a meeting of the provincial cabinet held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani.

However, the federal government had been requested to let the Pakistan army, especially the Engineering Corps, continue relief activities in inaccessible mountainous areas, the meeting was informed.

It was informed that there were 22 tent villages established and run by the Pakistan Army accommodating 28,085 people while 428 such villages were established by different relief organisations and agencies in which 125,167 earthquake affectees have been accommodated.

Briefing the cabinet about the provincial government’s preparations in this regard, the Provincial Relief Commissioner informed that a separate village administrative unit (comprising a staff of 14 and headed by a BPS-17 officer) would be responsible for each tent village. This administrative unit, he said, would take care of all relief and security arrangements.

The meeting was informed that one of the tent villages looked after by the Pak Army is situated at Mansehra, housing 120 families with a total population of 600 earthquake affectees had been residing while eight had been set up in Battagram with 2,656 tents containing 2,557 families and a population of 12,785 earthquake affectees.

One tent village was set up in Ghari Habibullah with 736 tents sheltering 620 families with a population of 3,100. In Balakot, seven villages were established with a total of 1,528 tents for 1,440 families with a population 7,200 earthquake affectees. In Battal, two tent villages were set up for 190 families while in Jabba, three tent villages were established.

In addition to the army-managed relief camps, there were 428 tent villages with a population of 125,167 managed and looked after by different relief agencies in Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad and Havellian.

The chief minister informed the Cabinet that the federal government has been conveyed the readiness of the provincial government for running and managing all these tent villages in earthquake-hit areas.

The cabinet was also informed that Rs6.25 billion had so far been distributed among 200,000 earthquake affectees. The Cabinet resolved that all earthquake affectees from all over the province be included in the compensation after proper verification. The Cabinet was informed that 25,520 bags of flour were received from Turkey, adding it was being stored in Havellian.

Therefore, the Cabinet resolved to ask the Federal Relief Commissioner to barter the said flour with the Utility Stores Corporation, adding that either it should be given to the provincial government for distribution among the affectees whenever needed or pay its price to the provincial government for depositing the same in the relief fund.

On this occasion, the chief minister directed the authorities concerned to properly verify the names and whereabouts of the affectees, warning that no inconsistency in data would be tolerated.

After a thorough discussion, the provincial cabinet in principle approved a new service structure for paramedical staff of the health department, the provision of BPS-16 and 14 for Arabic and theological teachers in education department respectively and the adjustment of defunct oriental teachers previously adjusted as CT teachers into Arabic teachers.

However, the authorities concerned would work out the details of these provisions and bring back the case before the provincial government.