Rs36b disbursed for reconstruction of houses in quake area
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—In the wake of fast-moving reconstruction and rehabilitation process, the compensatory amount of Rs. 36 billion has so far been distributed among the affectees in the quake-stricken areas of Azad Jammu & Kashmir for the re-construction of their shelter homes in line with the officially-approved design, official sources said.
The sources told APP here Wednesday the relief funds of Rs. 2.59 billion have been disbursed among the affected families under the mass relief program. In order to restore the collapsed educational structure in the quake-affected areas, the government has planned to construction 568 schools of different cadres in the AJK districts which were destroyed following the October-2005 devastated earthquake, the sources said adding that work was also in progress in seven mega health projects in the affected zone. The sources continued that with the colossal financial support by the government of Pakistan the reconstruction and rehabilitation process is in full swing in all the five districts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir including Neelam valley, capital town of Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot and Sudhanoti, hit by the earthquake.
As two-year period has so far passed away, the life has returned to normal to a great extent in the quake-stricken AJK zone as almost all the affectees have returned to their ancestral places of residence to resume their normal life in the areas hit by Asia’s largest catastrophe two years ago.
The population of five AJK districts had rendered shelter-less due to the devastating earthquake and shifted to various safer parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir and Pakistan to take refuge - till the life started getting back to normal in the affected zone.
Although the life is getting back to normal steadfastly to the pre-quake era in the affected areas in Azad Jammu Kashmir, people are actively engaged in erecting the shelter homes with the assistance and guidance of various government agencies of rehabilitation and reconstruction program in AJK in line with the approved designs.
The authorities have already allowed the construction of the shelter homes for residence, business and other official activities in line with the design approved by Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA). Besides, people have repaired the buildings of their homes and commercial purposes where minor cracks were developed by the earthquake and which were found fit for stay after repair on self-help basis.