General asks for public support
He said the reconstruction strategy will be implemented in two phases, incorporating short-term and medium-term schedules. The mid-term projects will be completed in a period of eighteen months while the long-term plans will be executed in a timeframe of eighteen months to five years.
Question: How the ERRA is planning to handle the reconstruction challenge?
Answer: The ERRA was established on Oct 16 and a notification to this effect was issued on Oct 24. For the initial ten days the ERRA had no office. “This was how we started but now we have set the things in motion and are we working to achieve the objectives the ERRA was set up for, keeping in mind that haste makes waste.” It is not a 100 metre run but a marathon race, which can be won by moving slow and steady.We have learnt lessons from the other disaster hit countries of the world.
In India the reconstruction process is still going on after its parts were rattled by an earthquake some six years ago. Just keep the magnitude of the disaster in mind. As many as 400,153 houses are needed to be built in quake-stricken areas of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP. Eighty-eight per cent of the demolished houses are in rural areas while the rest 12 per cent are in urban areas. Over 53,000 shelters in the snow-line areas have been built, while an amount of Rs6 billion has so far been disbursed as compensation among the quake survivors.
Q: Are you in a position to give out a date by which the reconstruction work will start?
A: The construction work will begin in early April, while a lot of home-work, including finalization of design, will be done from December to February. The government will provide money to build ‘owner driven supervised houses’ in line with the officially approved design, using local material. The people will be provided Rs175,000 for each damaged or destroyed house, irrespective of the size of the house they owned. They will get the same compensation whether they owned a three marla house or a large one spread over four kanals.
People would be encouraged to use wood, mild steel and corrugated galvanized iron (CGI) sheets to construct houses able to withstand earthquakes in the future. The disbursement of money for the purpose had begun some forty days ago. It will be ensured that everybody gets the first installment of Rs25,000 by the end of February. The under construction houses will be inspected before the release of each installment. We do not want to create problems for the people but want to make sure that the officially approved design is followed and the money is not used for some other purpose.
Q: Will the reconstruction and rehabilitation strategy be implemented in phases. If it is so what are the priority areas identified by ERRA?
A: Some sectors including housing, education, tourism, micro financing and livelihood have been identified as priority areas for reconstruction and rehabilitation. The strategy on housing has already been finalized, while strategies for the rest of the priority areas will be ready by the end of this month. The self-help potential of the affected population, using modern technologies, will be fully utilized for reconstruction on the basis of 3Bs (Build, Back, Better).
The educational infrastructure was also badly damaged by the earthquake. Eighty-five per cent primary and 60 to 70 per cent secondary school buildings and both the universities of Azad Kashmir were demolished. A draft education revival strategy is ready which will be presented to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and President Gen Pervez Musharraf next week.The damage caused to tourism sector was to the tune of $700 million.
With the determination to convert this disaster into an opportunity, there are plans to widen the roads of Muzaffarabad. Sui gas will be supplied to the area to avoid deforestation. Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot will be developed as modern cities.We want the living standards of the coming generations to be better than ours.
Rawalakot will be made an attractive tourist spot. Future needs will be kept in view while designing the revival strategies for the education and health sectors. Eight or nine different strategies will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase to be completed in 18 months and the long-term one to take between 18 months and five years. It will take two to three years to build more than 400,000 houses. The reconstruction of primary and secondary schools will take two to three, and three to five years, respectively.
Q: What specific challenges you foresee during the reconstruction process and what steps you intend to take to overcome them?
A: We foresee a massive black-marketing of building material, with the start of the reconstruction work. We plan to establish dump stores for building material with the help of the private sector. Thousands of masons, electricians, plumbers and other skilled and unskilled labourers will also be needed at that time, which may result in an increase in labour charges. Special importance will be attached to institutional capacity building, by arranging training sessions with the help of donors. Basic training of contractors, public awareness raising,resource conversion capacity and establishment of reconstruction related industry will also be made part of the plan.
Q: When will the reconstruction start?
A: The reconstruction work will start in early April in the light of the analysis of the seismic surveys being conducted by the Turkish and Chinese experts in the quake zone. The survey will help determine which places are safe for reconstruction.The ERRA is constantly in touch with the AJK and NWFP governments.
Q: What specific steps will be taken to ensure that the affected people start earning bread and butter for them and their families?
A: Micro finance schemes will be introduced in the quake hit areas. Khushhali Bank will provide loans on easy terms and low mark up to enable people start business. Medium and Small enterprises will be restored and cottage industry will be promoted. The banking system will be re-established and strengthened. The micro finance schemes will also cover agriculture sector. I believe that the people would not like to shift to big cities if their income level is taken to what they were earning before the natural calamity. It has been decided to shift district headquarter from Muzaffarabad to Garhi Dupatta, to reduce the burden of population in the AJK Capital.
Q: How do you see the opposition’s criticism against the role of ERRA which it says should have been answerable to the Parliament, if at all it was to be headed by a military-man?
A: The criticism is absolutely baseless and uncalled for. I am a serving General but take instructions from the Prime Minister, and not from GHQ. I have twice briefed the parliamentary Committee on Defence and thrice to the Federal Cabinet.” I made my services available when I was asked for it. I will go back when I am told to do so”.
Q: What steps are being taken to ensure transparency in the utilization of funds for reconstruction?
A: First of all let me point out that there is a Council for management and administration of the Authority headed by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. The Committee also includes Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, Chief Minister of NWFP, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and Chairman ERRA. A special unit for monitoring and applied research will report to the Chairman. Quarterly and annual progress reviews will be arranged in which donor agencies will be invited. Mid-term evaluation will be carried out in cooperation with donor agencies. Third party validation will be encouraged. Internal and external audit will be strengthened and simplified. Audit through an international audit firm will also be arranged. The Auditor General of Pakistan is the chief watch-dog.Director General ERRA Audit of the directorate general will also be involved in the process of audit.
The amount from President’s Relief Fund and donors accounts will first go to the ERRA State Bank account and than will be disbursed to the concerned governments after approval by the Council, making it one-window operation.
Q: The relief phase is far from away and there is an impression that the relief activities will be ignored once the reconstruction and rehabilitation process begins. How would you comment on this?
A: This is a wrong impression. Relief, Rehabilitation and reconstruction can go side by side.
Q: What is the level of coordination between the ERRA and the Federal Relief Commission (FRC)?
A: The two bodies have a good working relationship. One of the ERRA officers sits in each meeting of the FRC and reports to me. The Relief Commission will however have no role after eight to ten months.
Q: Would you mind sharing the composition of the authority in terms of composition of Authority in terms of officers from the Armed Forces and civil bureaucracy?
A: The Board headed by the Chairman has four members, two each from the military and civil side. The member (Finance) and Member (Administration and coordination) are from the civil side while Member (Implementation) and member (Planning and Technical) are from the military side. The role of the ERRA is that of Chief Coordinator and monitor.
Q: Who will fund this authority, the Government or the cost will be part of the reconstruction budget?
A: We will do what ever we are told to do. At present the ERRA has received no funds. US dollars 6.2 billion dollar had been pledged at the donors conference and the funds will start pouring in by the end of January.