Syed Abbas Gardazi,
Muzaffarabad: The Prime Minister of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan has requested federal government for provision of Rs. 39 billion for completion of projects under Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA).
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan the PM AJK has maintained that the funds were required for the completion of remaining 2272 projects in earthquake affected areas of Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
The AJK premier has also highlighted in his letter that “around 0.3 million students are still being imparted education amidst harsh weather conditions as around 1316 schools are still needs to be reconstructed through federal funding under ERRA”.
Pertinently, after recent meeting of the federal cabinet, the federal minister for Information & Broadcasting, Mr. Fawad Ahmed Chadhury, has announced in a press conference that as the all projects assigned to ERRA after earthquake of 2005 have been completed, the ERRA will be merged into NDMA, through an act of legislation.
However, around 4063 projects requiring around Rs 90 billion still needs to be reconstructed by ERRA both in AJ&K and KPK.
A proposal is under consideration at federal level for merger of ERRA into National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), without clarifying the future of remaining projects mandated to ERRA for completion through an act of parliament.
The AJK premier has demanded that prior to merger of ERRA with NDMA all reconstruction projects are required to be completed by the ERRA as mandated under its act, otherwise it would be gross injustice to the population of earthquake affected areas who are patiently waiting for complete reconstruction and rehabilitation of earthquake affected areas for more than 13 years.
