Reconstruction of Balakot: KP chief minister asks centre to make allocation for recovery plan

KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has asked the federal government to make appropriate allocation for the overall recovery plan including reconstruction and rehabilitation of the education, health, social sector institutions and laying down necessary infrastructure in the 2005 earthquake affected Balakot in Mansehra.
Those who attended were included Provincial Minister Muhammad Atif Khan, Deputy Chairman Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) Major General Muhammad Azeem Asif, Additional Chief Secretary Khalid Pervez, Commissioner Hazara, DC Mansehra and other high ups of ERRA and Provincial Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (PERRA).
The Chief Minister expressed his concern that federal government has not released appropriate allocations to undertake the construction and rehabilitation process devastated by the earthquake. He said that when the damages are not properly compensated then it creates sense of deprivation among the victims and they agitate against the federal and provincial governments leading to law & order situation.
He deplored that the federal government is not providing resources which is its responsibility. He complained that the foreign aids and loans were for the overall recovery plan including construction and rehabilitation process of Balakot while the provincial government has not enough resources to cope with it. "We are running short of time and cannot ignore the agonies and hardships of victims. I am at loss to understand as to why the rehabilitation process was delayed. By now, the overall recovery plan should have been completed and the agonies and hardships should have been mitigated", he added. He directed the provincial authority PERRA to plan the rehabilitation and reconstruction of education and health institutions on emergency basis whereas a sizeable number of schools and other basic infrastructure have been constructed or being completed through provincial ADP.
Pervez Khattak directed to expedite the completion of High Court Building in Abbottabad. He further directed to remove the obstacles/obstructions in the new Balakot City. The administration should sit with the affectees, remove their apprehensions and accommodate them in the new township.
"The better option should be to take the affectees on board and other options should follow. We cannot abandon the Balakot city as the old city has been on 18 fault lines and billions of rupees have been spent there. The district Administration should take over the site after clearing it out.
The affectees will be given plots in the Balakot city. This is responsibility of the government to compensate the earthquake affection, to own their agonies and hardships and to enable them to stand on their own feet", he added. He however said that he was taken aback by the constant practice of ignoring KP province in releasing resources under PSDP.
The reflection on PSDP is ok but when it comes to releasing the resources, the ground reality tells totally a different story. The federal government should not re-appropriate the resources under PSDP which are consistently directed to other provinces and in the process the province and its people suffer. He asked the federal government that its claims should match its actions and immediately release resources for the projects as a share of the province. It should also release resources for earthquake devastated Balakot City and for reconstruction and rehabilitation process.