ISLAMABAD: A Chinese firm will develop necessary infrastructure costing 742 million rupees for the medical rehabilitation of disabled persons in the earthquake affected areas.An agreement to this effect was signed. Deputy Chairman Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) Nadeem Ahmad was also present on the occasion.

Under the agreement, the Chinese firm will construct two 50 bed hospitals, one each in Muzafarabad and Abbottabad for the disabled persons.The project sponsored by ERRA also envisages four resource information centers at Manshera, Bisham, Muzaffarabad and Bagh. Six rehabilitation units will also be established, three each in NWFP and AJK.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chairman ERRA reiterated the commitment for the medical rehabilitation of disabled persons. He said the infrastructure is being developed in the affected areas to provide relief to the people.SANA

ISLAMABAD: Over 1.5 billion dollars have been spent so far on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of quake stricken people in NWFP and Azad Kashmir. This was stated by Chairman Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) Altaf Saleem and Deputy Chairman ERRA Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmad at a joint news conference.

Chairman ERRA said that Rs 51 billion have been spent on rural and two billion rupees on urban housing schemes, 5.5 billion on livelihood and 24 billion as compensation to the heirs of dead and injured people. He said Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Programme has provided Rs 11 billion. Read the rest of this entry »

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV) will provide transitional shelters for 1000 displaced families, affected by the 2005 devastating earthquake in Azad Kashmir. According to a press release issued here on Wednesday, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Pakistan will receive US$5.1 million from SPAPEV to provide transitional shelters for 1000 earthquake-displaced families in Azad Kashmir. Read the rest of this entry »

MUZAFFARABAD: Difficulties of the 2005 devastating earthquake affectees increased manifold in the biting cold as hundred of families still live in the temporary shelters and shambles tents. Many people affected by the devastating tremor are still deprived of basic necessities including shelter, electricity, health, water, education and roads even after the lapse of over two years of the quake.

People also suffered due to delay in issuing of the third and forth installments of the compensation amount by Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) to the affected people for the reconstruction of houses.Locals have appealed to the authorities for taking solid and concrete steps on priority basis to address their grievances.-SANA

PESHAWAR: An earthquake of mild intensity of 4.7 magnitude jolted Southern Punjab and Northeastern Balochistan on Wednesday. According to Peshawar weather Bureau, the tremor struck at 08:15 am and was centered 450 kilometers south of Peshawar near Punjab Balochistan border.-SANA