A parliamentary panel has recommended the government to merge Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to effectively deal with natural calamities in future. The Senate standing committee on cabinet secretariat recommended this to government here on Wednesday, which was held under the supervision of Senator Talha Mehmood.
Briefing the committee Chairman NDMA, Major General Asghar Nawaz said that a total 273 people were killed in the earthquake across the country of which 226 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), 30 in Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA), 10 in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), 5 in Punjab and 2 in Azad Kashmir. He maintained that 2,014 people got injured as a result of devastating earthquake of which 1,623 in KP, 209 in FATA, 92 in G-B, 79 in Punjab and 11 injured in Azad Kashmir.
About 74,639 houses were damaged across the country of which 62,309 in KPK, 9,534 in FATA, 2,755 in G-B, 20 in Punjab and 25 in Azad Kashmir, Asghar Nawaz said. The NDMA has released 15,550 blankets, 8,750 tents 3,500 plastic mats, 14,000 tarpaulin shelters, 11 tones of food packs, 14 tones of bottled water and one generator set for the earthquake affectees.
The committee while showing concern over the compensation package for the reconstruction of damaged houses said that Rs 200,000 was not sufficient to build even two rooms' house and the government must increase the amount. The committee was informed that under the prime minister's relief package, compensation to earthquake victims has been expedited in KPK and so far heirs of 193 dead, 115 injured and 398 owners of damaged and destroyed houses have been given compensation cheques.
The prime minister during his recent visit to Peshawar had announced six hundred thousands rupees for each dead, 100,000 rupees for minor injured and two hundred thousand rupees for each disabled. Similarly he had announced two hundred thousand rupees for each owner of completely damaged house while one hundred thousand rupees for owner of each partially damaged house.
The committee jointly decided to hold a meeting with the local representatives of the quake-hit areas so that it could get the proper information regarding the relief and rescue activities. Senator Najma Hameed while appreciating the efforts of the NDMA in assisting the quake hit people said that for better co-ordination is need of the hour to merge ERRA with NDMA to benefit from the exercises of the organisation in reconstructing of the quake hit areas.
ERRA officials said that the body was ready to serve the quake-hit areas as it has gained international reputation by rehabilitating and reconstructing the worst quake-hit areas of 2005. The committee urged the provincial government of KP as well as federal government to make all possible efforts for welfare of the quake-hit people as winter was intensifying with each passing day.
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