New Balakot city to be built for quake survivors

ISLAMABAD: Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) and the affectees of 2005 earthquake on Monday reached an agreement through with ERRA will build new Balakot city for the quake survivors.

According to the agreement, an apex committee headed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary would be formed to take measures for the new city. ERRA would provide Rs16bn for the construction of new Balakot city.

As per agreement 6 per cent land for the new city would be retrieved from the encroachers; however DC Mansehra will provide 94 percent land for the project.

While ERRA is bound to present the PC-1 for the rehabilitation project in the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) within one month.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had reprimanded the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) for not constructing even a single road in Balakot after the deadly earthquake in 2005.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar heard a suo motu notice pertaining to alleged embezzlement in the grants and donations meant for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the earthquake survivors.

The CJP further stated that problems will arise if ERRA continues to encroach public land. “National Highway Authority made off with 10 million dollars [that were to be spent on quake-hit areas]. “If bureaucracy cannot work, they should go home.”

The attorney general told the apex court that ECNEC approved the rehabilitation project worth Rs12bn in 2007.

 

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