Govt earmarks Rs20 billion for quake survivors
By Our Special Correspondent

RAWALPINDI—The Federal Government Monday decided to earmark Rs 20 billion as compensation for mitigation of the sufferings of earthquake victims in NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The decision was taken at a top-level meeting chaired by President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and senior officials assigned relief efforts in the quake zone attended the meeting.
The amount will be distributed as Rupees twenty five thousand for each affected house, Rupees one hundred thousand for families, which lost their member/members and Rupees twenty five thousand to Rupees fifty thousand for each injured. A portion of the amount has already been released to the NWFP and Azad Kashmir Governments.
The President and the Prime Minister took the decision in the light of their visits to the quake-ravaged areas and their interaction with the survivors and briefings by concerned authorities assisting in relief work.
Prime Minister Aziz directed the governments of NWFP and Azad Kashmir to expedite the disbursement of money among the survivors and ensure transparency in the entire process.
The President and Prime Minister reviewed the pace of relief operations and expressed their resolve to expedite the provision of shelter to the affectees at the earliest.
APP adds: President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday said that national volunteer movement has potential to fill the gaps in an organized manpower and help the country carry out enormous relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation tasks in NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir following last month’s devastating earthquake.
“I am hopeful that through this movement we will be able to harness the spirit, patriotism and the nation wide desire to contribute and assist the earthquake affectees in rebuilding their lives” he said addressing a meeting which discussed the organizational support from the government to the movement.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz attended the meeting, also participated by senior officials’ engaged in relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation task.
Minister of State for Youth Affairs briefed the President and Prime Minister on ways and means for facilitating the youth’s participation in the movement.
The National Volunteers Movement (NVM) aims at providing an enabling environment to young people aged over 18 years, including skilled and unskilled persons from all walks of life, in coordination with the Armed Forces for assisting in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the quake ravaged areas.
The President said that Pakistan Armed Forces, which are already earring out large-scale relief operations in the quake zone, would provide administrative assistance to the volunteers.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the entire country is indebted to the selfless devotion and spirit shown by all segments of society and adequate steps would be taken at the national level to acknowledge their contribution in the service of humanity.