Shahrukh Khan
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Two years on, earthquake victims still living a miserable life
Monday, October 08, 2007
By our correspondent
GHAZI: Exactly two years after a massive earthquake hit northern parts of the country on October 8, 2005, it seems 80 per cent of the victims would spend their third winter without proper shelter as the much talked about $6 billion funds seem to have not benefited them.
It is partly because of the slow pace of reconstruction in the affected areas in view of high wages of masons and labourers, who charge Rs 500 and Rs 300 per day, respectively.
A survey conducted by The News in the affected areas of Bagh, Muzaffarabad, Battagram, Kohistan, Mansehra and Abbottabad revealed that the condition of victims has not improved, forcing them to resort to agitation and even invade offices of various NGOs.
Criticising the government and NGOs, Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman of the Pakistan People’s Party Azad Kashmir (PPPAJK) alleged that officials are busy in providing jobs to their near and dear ones while affected people are still suffering. He complained that construction material is very expensive in Bagh district and the meagre amount of Rs 200,000 is not sufficient to construct even a two-room house, according to the guidelines issued by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra).
He questioned the utilisation of $6 billion funds provided by the international community.
As compared to Bagh district, the situation in Muzaffarabad is quite satisfactory and university and other government buildings are being constructed rapidly with the help of Turkey, but
victims are still running from pillar to post for the reconstruction of their houses.
A cloth trader at Madina Market said that a few years ago he had started business with Rs 15 million and lost everything in the earthquake but the government did not come to his rescue and he restarted his business by obtaining loans.
Raja Mohammad Yasin Khan, adviser to the AJK government on sport, electricity and interior, claimed that the situation is improving rapidly, but, keeping in view the magnitude of the disaster complete rehabilitation would take some time.
A university student complained that Khubaib Foundation of Turkey was ready to provide the student with facilities but the government decided to close down ‘Ashiana’, a shelter house for students, after eight months, leading to wastage of their one academic year and still there is no proper arrangement being made to facilitate students.
On the other hand, the situation in the affected districts of the NWFP may be termed worse as compared to that in Azad Kashmir. Balakot, Battal, Jabori and Allai still present a devastated view.
Expressing concern over the performance of the sitting district Nazim, former Mansehra district Nazim Ahmed Hussain Shah accused him of nepotism.
Complaints about corruption on the part of government officials in the release of funds for the reconstruction of houses have been common in the affected areas in near past, and Oxfam left the country after finding that the majority of the complaints were true.
Some of the victims alleged that survey teams were charging them Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 for the release of an instalment of the house-building subsidy.
QUEEN VICTORIA
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