MANSEHRA, Nov 9: The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) would allot 385 plots to the residents and landowners of Bakrial to persuade them to vacate the site for the proposed New Balakot City.

Sources said that to settle a dispute with the landowners and residents of Bakrial, the Erra would hand over the allotment documents to them soon.

The Nespak had given a go-ahead signals to the Erra after clearing the ground there. Every family would be allotted a 10-marla domestic and a commercial plot each as per houses in the area, which would be demolished to clear the site for the Rs12 billion project.

According to the sources, due to delay in the evacuation of the houses, the proposed project was badly affected. However, by distribution of plots among the landowners and residents, basic hurdles would be removed to complete the new city project.

Ziaul Islam, Nespak site engineer, told this scribe that Deputy Chairman Erra Sajjad Akram would hand over the allotment documents to the residents within a couple of days following which they would leave their old houses.

He said that every household would be allotted commercial and domestic plots each and all basic amenities would be provided to them until the project was completed.

Over 35 per cent work of the project had been completed as infrastructure was being laid rapidly. He said that the Gaddafi Foundation had been allotted 200 kanals to build the main mosque, two collages, six primary schools and a commercial district.

Sources in the Erra revealed that the deputy chairman Erra was due here on Saturday to inaugurate a school built by the UK-based Muslim Hands for the orphans of Balakot.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the dispute between the Erra and landowners would not be settled after the allotment of the plots at the proposed New Balakot City as the latter had been demanding allotment of plots on the name of every married couple of the area.

However, the Erra was willing to allot the plots on the basis of every existing household in area. The talks between the landowners and the Erra in this regard had been failed in Islamabad last month when the deputy chairman Erra reportedly turned down the demand of the landowners.