Premier directs to compensate quake affectees by 30th
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Wednesday said substantive part of
payments to the legal heirs of those who lost their lives in October 8
devastated earthquake would be made by November 30. Talking to newsmen
here at Prime Minister House after presiding over different meetings to
review relief and rehabilitation work in the quake hit areas, the Prime
Minister said all those who have been affected and those who lost their
relatives would be given cash compensation by end of this year.
The Prime Minister also chaired a meeting of Earthquake Rehabilitation
and Reconstruction Authority Council to review the relief,
rehabilitation and reconstruction work and approved the reconstruction
plan prepared by the Authority headed by Lt. Gen. Muhammad Zubair. The
meeting was also attended by Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Sardar Sikandar Hayat, Chief Minister NWFP Akram Durrani, federal
ministers, Chairman National Relief Commission Maj. Gen. Farooq and
Chairman Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority Lt. Gen.
Muhammad Zubair. Shaukat Aziz said a meeting of parliamentary leaders of
all political parties in the National Assembly will be held next week to
review and discuss relief and reconstruction work being done by the
government.
He said he offered to constitute the “parliamentary committee” while
addressing the National Assembly recently and now it has been decided
that he will convene the first meeting of the committee next week to
take parliamentarians into confidence on the relief and rehabilitation
work being done in the quake hit areas. The Prime Minister said damage
assessment was reviewed today and it would be finalised by tomorrow. He
said the assessment is being done by the government, United Nations,
World Bank and other international organizations and the preliminary
assessments were discussed at a meeting held here at Prime Minister
House today.
Shaukat Aziz said the assessments would be provided to all participants
of international donors conference being held on November 19. The Prime
Minister said President General Pervez Musharraf, Secretary General
United Nations and heads of international donors agencies and delegates
of participating countries will address the conference while he will
present the welcome address.
The Prime Minister said with a view to simplify the procedure of
payments in the quake affected areas, it has been decided that all
Police Stations in NWFP and offices of Tehsil Municipal Office will have
the claim forms and the victims can file their claims at these sites. He
said after verification and authentication, the payments to legal heirs
of the deceased would be made without any delay and substantive payments
would be made by November 30 while all payments would be finalised by
December this year. The Prime Minister said in Azad Kashmir all offices
of Assistant Commissioners will have the claim forms where the people
could file their claims. Shaukat Aziz announced that “Parliamentary
Committee” consisting all parliamentary leaders, belonging to government
and opposition will review relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction
work.
He said proposals, apprehensions, reservations and suggestions of
parliamentary leaders would be accommodated in the meeting of the
“Parliamentary Committee” next week. The Prime Minister said
parliamentary leaders from MMA, PML-N, PPP, PPPP, PML-Q, MQM and other
parties would be invited to attend the meeting. Shaukat Aziz said that
with a view to ensure transparency in the disbursement of funds, private
audit company “Ford Rhodes “ has been engaged to audit payments for
relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the quake hit areas.
He said government would also continue auditing of funds through Auditor
General of Pakistan. Referring to the decisions of ERRA meeting, the
Prime Minister said it has been decided that its over-head expenditures
would be kept at minimum possible level and its structure would be
simple.
The Prime Minister said disbursement of cash compensation of Rs. 25,000
to the quake victims for repairing their houses is in full swing and
added that main focus is on ‘speed of payment and ease of payment’. He
said the damaged houses would be repaired with the help of Pakistan Army
and volunteers. The Prime Minister said tent supply has been improved
and added that about 300,000 to 400,000 tents would be available before
end of the current month. The Prime Minister said master programme would
be prepared for reconstruction of the affected areas and elected
representatives from these areas would be included in the reconstruction
and rehabilitation process.
He said two teams of seismic experts from Turkey and China are working
in Pakisan and testing soil in the quake hit areas and new constructions
would be according to the recommendations of these experts. He said if
needed, there could be relocation and redesigning of structures to make
them earthquake proof. The Prime Minister said President General Pervez
Musharraf will announce a “sponsorship scheme” on November 19 in his
address to international donors conference. He said comprehensive
strategy would be adopted to provide chance to individuals, local and
international firms, organizations and countries to sponsor a family,
house, school, college or hospital in the affected areas.
The Prime Minister said health sector requirements and facilities being
provided to the affected people was also reviewed at a meeting and added
there was no report of any epidemic in any part of the affected areas.
He said government had started immunization programmes in the quake hit
areas besides spray to avoid spread of epidemics. |
