Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR, (Parliament Times): Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has announced a Special Compensation Package for the recent earthquake-hit Mirpur raising the volume of the compensatory relief from three to five times, it was officially said.
The approval was given at a high-level meeting presided over by Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan at Mangla Rest House here on Wednesday.
Under this special package, the government has announced to pay Rs. 10,00,000 per deceased, 800,000 for permanent disability, 100,000 for severe injury, 20,000 for minor injuries, Rs. 500,000 for complete house damaged, 200,000 for partial house damage, 50,000 for protection wall, 200,000 for commercial dairy farm, 100,000 for the loss of cattle heads, 75,000 for small vehicle and 30,000 for motorcycle.
It is for the first time that government is compensating the losses of dairy farms, poultry farms, protection walls, cattle heads, sheds and other properties in addition to the compensation of damaged houses and casualties.
The Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan has directed the concerned institutions to immediately compensate the affectees through one-time payment process and start providing the design for the new construction from village level. “Not more than three days to be taken for the approval of design for the construction” the premier further directed. Mirpur Development Authority (MDA), Buildings Department, Mirpur Development and Housing Authority (MDHA) and district administration would immediately start work on it.
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider said that compensatory relief package is specially considered for the quake affectees to enable them to stand on their feet. “We cannot compensate the actual losses. However, it is an attempt to at-least start the life again”, he added.
Raja Farooq Haider said compensation would be transparently distributed among the affectees. “No deserving person or family should be left without compensation”, he directed.
He hoped that federal government would fulfill the needs in rehabilitation and reconstruction programs in the quake hit areas of Mirpur.
The Prime Minister directed the concerned department to take special steps and make the damaged roads useable till their complete rehabilitation.
He lauded the administration and other line departments for their well coordinated joint efforts while responding the 24th September’s natural calamity.
Earlier, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Fayyaz Ali Abbasi while briefing the meeting told that 3010 houses totally damaged while 7330 were partially damaged during the quake. 375 dairy farms, 561 sheds and 1101 other properties were also damaged. The survey of the damaged properties has also completed.
SMBR told that Building Code will be strictly implemented in new construction.
It was told in the meeting that all new constructions would be done in the light of the recommendations of geological report which was carried out after Mirpur quake. Camps would be setup in the villages to approve housing and other construction designs. The meeting decided to establish District Reconstruction Unit (DRU) in Mirpur.
On Prime Minister’s advice, a seven member committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Dr. Syed Asif Shah constituted to coordinate with the federal government for the required financial assistance during the rehabilitation and reconstruction program.
Number of other decision relating to the rehabilitation and reconstruction program in quake affected areas were also taken during the meeting.
Cabinet and Legislative Assembly members, Secretaries and heads of the different government departments and other concerned officials attended the meeting