ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: Reconstruction work in quake-hit areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and northern districts of the NWFP will begin in March.

This was stated by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during a meeting with AJK President Maj-Gen (retired) Sardar Anwar Khan at the Prime Minister’s House here on Saturday.

The prime minister assured the AJK and NWFP governments of full support of the federal government in rehabilitation and reconstruction of the quake-affected areas.

Mr Aziz said that the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra) would work as the coordinating agency during the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation whereas the actual work would be carried out by the respective governments.

He said that payment of the first instalment of Rs75,000 for reconstruction of destroyed houses would be completed in March, to be followed by two more instalments of Rs25,000 and Rs50,000. The last two instalments would be paid after a physical survey of under-construction houses by designated officers to ascertain whether designs were in accordance with building codes formulated by the government.

Mr Aziz said the sponsorship programme should be followed more actively and the government would also ask banks to prepare packages of soft loans for rebuilding commercial enterprises.

Later at a briefing on the media tower plan, the prime minister said that the project would be a manifestation of government’s open media policy.

Mr Aziz approved a proposed 26-storey media tower project in Islamabad which would provide state-of-the-art facilities to print and electronic media establishments. The plan will be submitted for formal approval at the next CDWP meeting.

The high-rise to be built in the Blue Area will be completed in 36 months.

The media centre will have studios for TV and radio, technical areas, auditoriums, conference halls, seminar rooms, government and corporate offices, business and IT centres, call centres, hospitality areas, a warehouse and commercial and retail spaces.