VisionHawk
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President directs immediate reconstruction of houses and provision of relief in remote areas
RAWALPINDI, Oct 28 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday directed prompt release of Rs. two billion for reconstruction of individual houses in remote earthquake-ravaged areas of NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and directed all-out efforts for providing releif to the areas still not accessed. He was chairing the first full-fledged meeting of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, which was also attended by President and Prime Minister of AJK and Chief Minister of NWFP.
Both NWFP and AJK will get rupees one billion for the reconstruction of houses in their remote earthquake-hit areas. Taking note of media reports, the President showed grave concern that certain people in remote areas have not yet received relief goods, and asked all concerned to reach out to the people stranded in the inaccessible mountainous regions. "We must aim at the provision of tents to the shelterless within two weeks to save them from severe cold. It is imperative that we sustain provision of life-saving medicine and succour to the affected," he said at the meeting, which lasted for more than three hours.
President Musharrraf also directed the governments of AJK and NWFP to quickly disburse compensation amount among the victims of the quake, which has claimed more than 54,000 lives and rendered millions homeless. The President emphasized the need for creating a comprehensive database with reference to losses to houses, buildings, infrastructure from district to tehsil and down to village levels. Musharraf asked the authority to draw up a plan and its implementation strategy for construction of houses in cities and towns before next month's international donors conference, being held in Islamabad.
Regarding lessons learnt from the unprecedented disaster, the President underlined the need for Pakistan to have its own well-equipped and thoroughly trained rescue teams and institutionalized rescue arrangement. Briefing the meeting, head of ERRA, Lt Gen Muhammad Zubair said the Authority would priortize reconstruction of community infrastructure including houses, schools, hospitals, public health units, water and sanitation and government buildings. The strategy will focus on ensuring execution of a well-coordinated reconstruction plan on fast-track basis so that the affected people are rehabilitated at the earliest and employment opportunities are in place for them to avert any large-scale migration and dislocation. he informed the meeting that reconstruction would be carried out on modern lines to ensure quake-proof infrastructure.
Later, Press Secretary to the President Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan told APP that the meeting noted that the pledges made at donors conference in Geneva on Wednesday are for immediate releif operations. On the overall financial cost of reconstruction and rehabilitation, he said the government will determine it on the basis of database to be compiled ahead of next month's international donors conference in the capital.
RAWALPINDI, Oct 28 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday directed prompt release of Rs. two billion for reconstruction of individual houses in remote earthquake-ravaged areas of NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and directed all-out efforts for providing releif to the areas still not accessed. He was chairing the first full-fledged meeting of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, which was also attended by President and Prime Minister of AJK and Chief Minister of NWFP.
Both NWFP and AJK will get rupees one billion for the reconstruction of houses in their remote earthquake-hit areas. Taking note of media reports, the President showed grave concern that certain people in remote areas have not yet received relief goods, and asked all concerned to reach out to the people stranded in the inaccessible mountainous regions. "We must aim at the provision of tents to the shelterless within two weeks to save them from severe cold. It is imperative that we sustain provision of life-saving medicine and succour to the affected," he said at the meeting, which lasted for more than three hours.
President Musharrraf also directed the governments of AJK and NWFP to quickly disburse compensation amount among the victims of the quake, which has claimed more than 54,000 lives and rendered millions homeless. The President emphasized the need for creating a comprehensive database with reference to losses to houses, buildings, infrastructure from district to tehsil and down to village levels. Musharraf asked the authority to draw up a plan and its implementation strategy for construction of houses in cities and towns before next month's international donors conference, being held in Islamabad.
Regarding lessons learnt from the unprecedented disaster, the President underlined the need for Pakistan to have its own well-equipped and thoroughly trained rescue teams and institutionalized rescue arrangement. Briefing the meeting, head of ERRA, Lt Gen Muhammad Zubair said the Authority would priortize reconstruction of community infrastructure including houses, schools, hospitals, public health units, water and sanitation and government buildings. The strategy will focus on ensuring execution of a well-coordinated reconstruction plan on fast-track basis so that the affected people are rehabilitated at the earliest and employment opportunities are in place for them to avert any large-scale migration and dislocation. he informed the meeting that reconstruction would be carried out on modern lines to ensure quake-proof infrastructure.
Later, Press Secretary to the President Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan told APP that the meeting noted that the pledges made at donors conference in Geneva on Wednesday are for immediate releif operations. On the overall financial cost of reconstruction and rehabilitation, he said the government will determine it on the basis of database to be compiled ahead of next month's international donors conference in the capital.
