News Details

29/03/2017

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has directed to finalize arrangements for allotment of plots to the affectees of Earthquake devastated Balakot in the new Balakot city by 30th April 2017

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has directed to finalize arrangements for allotment of plots to the affectees of Earthquake devastated Balakot in the new Balakot city by 30th April 2017. He directed an enquiry by the provincial inspection team to fix responsibility for the claims of contractor after the stoppage of work on the New City Balakot project and other problems created by the winding up of infrastructure development in the Balakot Township. He was presiding over a meeting at Chief Minister Secretariat Peshawar. Deputy Chairman ERRA, DG PERRA, Commissioner Hazara, DC Mansehra, DIG Hazara, Regional President PTI Zar Gul, Ex-MPA Mazhar Ali Qasim, four village Nazimeen of Balakot city, Riaz Ahmad, Haji Noor Hussain, Muhammad Imtiaz and Asad Qazafi attended. Chief Minister asked the quarter concerned to ensure that plots to the affectees were allotted by 30th April adding that the provincial inspection team should investigate the reasons behind the continuation/engagement of contractor when the work was stopped seven years back. The enquiry committee will fix responsibility for the lapse and suggest action in this regard. The committee would submit its recommendations within 10 days. The Chief Minister also constituted another committee which would prepare a feasibility report for the future work in the new Balakot city project. The committee would comprise Chief Engineer ERRA, PD Mansehra Development Authority and DG ERRA. The committee would start work after the evacuation and clearance of land and would submit a comprehensive proposal for the future of the new Balakot city Project. The Chief Minister said that he would take up the issue with Prime Minister for financial funding of the new Balakot city Project. He directed to start clearing the land occupied by the illegal occupants from 3rd April. He said that the affectees had been given their due right and there was no justification for illegal occupation of land. The government would move with the already concluded agreement. The occupants had been paid therefore they have to vacate the land otherwise the district administration should start evacuation clearing the land from the illegal occupants. However the government would welcome volunteer evacuation. He wanted a practical solution to the problem. There should be no wastage of time and the respective departments should complete all their working so that the affectees could be allotted plots in the new Balakot city. The Chief Minister said that the federal government had lost interest in the overall rehabilitation and reconstruction of the devastated areas of the earthquake. Two of the five sectors of the new Balakot city were ready because necessary infrastructure had been laid down and design should be prepared to demarcate plots in the remaining three sectors. Chief Minister said that if the federal government showed reluctance then the provincial government could arrange upto Rs.50 crores to start work on the infrastructure development in the remaining sectors of the new Balakot city and the Chief Minister directed to come out with a comprehensive proposal in this regard. He on the proposal to plan the development of commercial areas and selling out plots to private sector to generate resources for the infrastructure development in the new Balakot city directed to prepare recommendations in this regard. The Chief Minister became a hope for the affectees because within the recent past, the present government took this issue up and started working on it for the allotment of plots to the affectees and thus bringing them to the normal life, the PTI Regional President Zar Gul and Ex-MPA Mazhar Ali Qasim and local Nazimeen and other participants of the meeting noted and appreciated the Chief Minister for his clarity of mind and affectionate gesture towards affectees of earthquake devastation in Balakot. <><><><><><><><>