NWFP Assembly on Tuesday called for the reconstruction and revival of the road network in the affected districts of the October 8, 2005, earthquake in Hazara Division and transparent distribution of the compensational amount against the affectees to revive socio-economic conditions and tap the tourism potential of the area.
Participating in debate on the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the October 8 earthquake, Qazi Mohammad Asad of PML (Q), Zubaida Khatoon and Shagufta Naz of MMA said that the affected areas were known for their natural scenic beauty attracting tourists from both inside and outside the country.
The devastated earthquake, they said, have played havoc with the communication system and many areas have now become inaccessible for tourists due to the destruction of roads.
"The residents of the affected town of Balakot and its adjacent areas were largely dependent on tourists, therefore, the government should reconstruct roads of the area on top priority to lure the people towards the tourist spot, Saiful Malook Lake and help revive their employment," MPA Zubaida Khatoon of the MMA suggested.
She regretted that despite the passage of seven months no reconstruction of the roads, schools and other government buildings have been started, saying that initially the affectees have given Rs 25,000 cheques for the reconstruction of their houses. However, she said the affectees are awaiting the distribution of the remaining Rs 125,000.
She called for immediate release of the amount to those whose houses have been destroyed partially or completely in the quake. Qazi Mohammad Asad, the young and soft spoken PML (Q) member from Haripur, said the disaster had crippled the tourism sector of the area, saying that tourism was the main source of income of the residents of Balakot.
"A large number of people engaged in hotels, guiding and transport business to facilitate both domestic and foreign tourists rendered jobless," he said, adding that when government was spending billion of rupees on reconstruction and rehabilitation, then why the government was not going to first restore their source of income?
The government, he said, should at once have taken steps for the reconstruction of hotels in the area and restoration of the infrastructure of tourism. "The government should provide grant to them to create job opportunities for the residents and tourism atmosphere for the tourists," Qazi Asad added. Shagufta Naz, another MMA MPA also called for reconstruction of the roads to enable the affectees to start a new life.
Abdul Akbar Khan of PPP-Parliamentarian castigated the federal government for establishing Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) and took the reconstruction and rehabilitation process in the earthquake affected areas into their own hand.
"The federal government has no right to take over the process as it is a provincial matter," the PPP firebrand said, adding that the matter is neither relating to federal list or concurrent list of the constitution. He said that only provincial legislature was constitutionally empowered to make legislation in this regard.
However, he alleged that federal government usurping provincial rights one by one as it had in past denied the province's right on net profit on hydel power generation and Police Order.
Khan, who is also a former Speaker of the house, said that in 1974, then provincial government constituted Kohistan Development Authority (KDA) and relief and assistance pouring from all around the world was utilised through the body.
"It is completely a provincial matter, so the provincial government should challenge the usurpation of its rights by the federal government," he added, and offered full co-operation of the opposition to the government over the issue.
Mazhar Qasim Shah, an independent MPA from Balakot, himself an affectee of the devastated earthquake who remained under debris for more than eight hours, said that only making pledges was no solution to the miseries and difficulties of the affected people. He said the government should ensure the implementation of the pledges it making with the people.
He flayed the delay in the implementation of the proposed construction of new town for the 40,000 people of the historic town of Balakot. He said due to the psychological pressure people are not in a position to start a new life.
He said that he was not in a position to pursue the project, adding it is the responsibility of both provincial and federal governments to accelerate work on it.
He said the government has announced three exemptions of the utility bills to the people of Balakot, but they have yet to restore power supply to the affected people.
Shah Hussain Alai thanked both local and foreign donor agencies for extending relief to the affected people of his constituency. However, he said that more than 208 families with one casualty each and 336 injured have yet to receive compensation. He said that since October 8 last, 90 percent children have abandoned their education as there were no educational facilities.
Only 100 tents have been provided for running more than 500 schools in the district, he said, adding although foreign donors have done a lot in health sector, nothing have been done in the education.
Bashir Ahmad Bilour of ANP while expressing concern over the lethargy of both federal and provincial governments said the rulers could facilitate more than 3 million Afghan refugees for more than one decade, but could not extend facilities to merely 40,000 to 50,000 earthquake affected families of their own country.
Others who spoke on the matter, including Mushtaq Ghani, Qalandar Lodhi, Maulana Nizamuddin, Engr Hamid Iqbal and Nasrin Khattak.
Earlier, the house resumed proceedings with Mian Nisar Gul, member of the panel of chairmen in the chair. Later the proceeding of the house was adjourned till Wednesday 10:00 am.
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