HARIPUR, Dec 20: The army has constructed 700 shelter homes in the quake-hit areas of Chatter Plain in Mansehra district. Army engineers are working on another 300 such shelters, said Brig Tariq, head of the Army Relief Coordination Cell in Chatter Plain, while briefing NWFP Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Sardar Mohammad Idrees who visited the centre on Tuesday.

Speaking about relief and rehabilitation activities in the area, he said that the army had so far distributed 34,757 tons of relief goods among the earthquake victims, adding that these goods included 24,087 tents and 7,841 tarpaulins besides steel sheets, wood and other necessary items for 1,000 shelters.

He said that keeping in view the emergency situation, the army deployed in the Chatter Plain area also provided aid to the adjacent areas, including Lasan Nawab, Oghi and Baffa. The army accessed over 21,000 affected families in 1,882 villages and hamlets and provided necessary help.

Brig Tariq also said that logistic support was also being provided from the centre to World Food Programme and other international relief organizations.

He said that certain local and international NGOs were collaborating with the army in relief and rehabilitation activities. These organizations were getting all possible facilities.

Speaking on the occasion, the provincial minister appreciated the role played by the army not only in Chatter Plain, but in all the quake-affected areas.

The provincial government also recognized the army services and had disbursed an amount of Rs25 million to the army to purchase steel sheets and distribute them among the needy people who would use them for the shelters, the minister added.

Sardar Idrees said that in view of the winter and the forthcoming snowfall, the Frontier government had increased the compensation amount for damaged houses from Rs 25,000 each to 175,000.