MANSEHRA, Jan 18: The Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority has not paid second and third instalments of the housing compensation amount to over 200,000 families in five earthquake-hit districts of the NWFP.

“I have rebuilt my house but still have not received the second and third instalments of the compensation amount. Erra is not taking any interest in rehabilitation of quake-hit people,” said one of the survivors.

Sources said the 2005 earthquake had damaged 395,907 houses in Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Battagram and Shangla districts. Quake survivors have been visiting offices of Erra and various banks in their respective areas to know about their compensation amount, but to no avail.

Sources in the Bank of Khyber’s Mansehra branch said the bank had accounts of over 35,000 survivors for the housing compensation amount but the second and third instalments had not been transferred to their accounts.

“Hundreds of survivors visit the bank daily to know if the money had been transferred to their accounts,” they said.

The delay in payment of the compensation amount has affected the reconstruction work and the quake survivors have been left at the mercy of the chilly weather.

Saifur Rehman, whose house was destroyed in the earthquake, said his family was passing through a difficult time because their house was incomplete and they were living in makeshift houses.

“I’ve been visiting the bank and the Erra office in Mansehra for five to six months and have completed the criteria but have not been paid the compensation amount.”