MANSEHRA: Survivors of the Oct 2005 devastating earthquake have taken out a rally against a long delay in the allotment of plots in the New Balakot City housing project.

“We are fed up with living in small makeshift shelters since displacement by the 2005 earthquake, but both federal and provincial government are indifferent to our misery that is visible from their failure to develop the New Balakot City in the last 17 years,” chairman of the Tehreek-i-New Balakot City Mian Ashraf told protesters.

The rally was taken out from the central bazaar and ended at the Madni Plaza with protesters shouting slogans for early plot allotments.

Mr Ashraf said earthquake survivors from the Balakot Red Zone lived a miserable life in the Garlat makeshift shelters.

He said work on the housing project meant for disaster victims was suspended 12 years ago.

Trader leader Javed Iqbal complained that the lawmakers elected by Balakot residents didn’t ensure resumption of work on the New Balakot City.

He criticised the successive governments of the PML-N, ANP, PPP and PTI over failure to address the plight of the families displaced by the 2005 earthquake.

Mr Iqbal said earthquake survivors would stage protests sit-ins outside the provincial assembly’s building in Peshawar and parliament house in Islamabad to demand an early allotment of plots in the New Balakot City.

PROJECTS’ COMPLETION: The Torghar district development advisory committee on Saturday asked contractors for early completion of work on mega development projects.

“For the first time, mega development projects are being executed by the provincial government, so they should be completed on time to the benefit of the people,” DDAC chairman and MPA Laiq Mohammad Khan told a meeting attended by heads of different departments.

Deputy commissioner Anwar Zeb Khan briefed the committee about projects. The panel approved more funds for road and other schemes.

Mr Khan ordered the early completion of work on the Rs740 million worth of Darband-Thakot Road.

He said the artery meant to link Torghar with Mansehra, Battagram and Shangla districts would contribute to the people’s development.

The DDAC chairman said Torghar, which was made a district in 2011, still needed infrastructure.

The DC said Rs1.5 billion worth of development projects, including road ones, were being executed in the district with additional funds coming in from the provincial government for their early completion.

He said those projects would help improve the standard of living in the district.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2022