8 years later...: K-P demands abolishment of Earthquake Reconstruction and Relief Authority

An earthquake measuring 7.6 in magnitude struck Azad Kashmir and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on October 8, 2005, claiming nearly 75,000 lives and displacing 3.5 million people. PHOTO: REUTERS

PESHAWAR: 

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution demanding the provincial government to ask the centre to abolish the Earthquake Reconstruction and Relief Authority (ERRA) and transfer the funds to the provincial exchequer.

The resolution was hurriedly prepared in the house after the issue was raised on a point of order by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker and Adviser on Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani. He told lawmakers Tuesday marked the eighth anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck the northern parts of Pakistan in 2005.

He, however, said ERRA had failed to complete development work in the region despite a lapse of eight years. Ghani maintained around 1,500 schools were yet to be reconstructed and children were forced to study without shelter. He added a staggering Rs502 billion had been allocated for relief and reconstruction after the earthquake, but alleged the amount had been squandered by ERRA.

Ghani claimed some of the money was instead allocated for Naudero and Multan and demanded the funds be redirected to the province. He also demanded ERRA be abolished and their assets be transferred to the provincial government, adding the department was “wasting” public money.

Ghani said if the money is transferred to the K-P government, it will complete all development activities in earthquake-hit areas within a year. Adviser on Food Qalandar Khan Lodhi and other lawmakers also backed Ghani.

Later, the assembly speaker allowed lawmakers to present a joint resolution to this effect signed by Wajeehu Zaman Khan, Muhammad Asmatullah, Sardar Aurangzeb Nalhota and Nagina Khan.

The resolution stated the assembly demands the provincial government to ask its federal counterpart to abolish ERRA and transfer its funds to K-P. The house then unanimously adopted the resolution.

Walkout

At the beginning of the session, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout over the appointment of the District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) chairperson.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Wajeehu Zaman in his speech criticised the government over transfers and postings of officials from his constituency and the appointment of the DDAC chairperson.

He then proceeded to walk out of the session and was followed by other lawmakers occupying the opposition benches. However, Minister for Communication and Works Yousaf Ayub and Sikandar Sherpao convinced them to return. But Ayub later said the DDAC chairperson’s appointment was the chief minister’s prerogative and he could not provide any assurances to the opposition. Ayub, however, said he would take up the issue with the chief minister when the latter attends the assembly session.

The house then discussed the appointment of tube well operators and watchmen for about 40 minutes after Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman told the house it was not binding for them to appoint those recommended by lawmakers.

This fueled resentment among the opposition benches and lawmakers castigated Farman for his remark. The session was later adjourned till Wednesday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2013.