DASSU: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has directed to take urgent measures including the use of helicopter to drop relief items to the earthquake-affected people stranded at high-altitude mountains.
At a briefing in Dasu, Prime Minister directed the authorities to arrange heavy machinery to clear the road blockade for an uninterrupted supply of relief items.
He expressed concern over the condition of the shelter less who were also facing severe winter in the area and directed to ensure immediate supply of food, blankets and tents.
The Prime Minister said local administration should work in coordination with the disaster management officials to facilitate the affected people .
During briefing, Prime Minister was informed that twelve people were killed in Kohistan due to the earthquake. The quake also damaged houses and infrastructure. Relief and rehabilitation work is in progress in Dasu.
The Prime Minister was informed that survey teams had been activated for assessment of losses. Chief Minister KPK Pervaiz Khattak said that there should be no excuse for unavailability of heavy machinery in the area.
Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid and officials of local administration were also present at the briefing.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif says the implementation of relief package announced by him for the welfare of earthquake affected people has started.
Addressing affected families at Dasu today, he said the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments are paying six hundred thousand rupees each to the legal heirs of those killed by the earthquake. One hundred thousand rupees each are being paid to the injured.
Two hundred thousand rupees each will be paid to those whose houses have been completely destroyed and one hundred thousand rupees each to the partially damaged house owners.
Prime Minister also announced a grant of forty million rupees to help earthquake affected people pay back their agriculture loans.
He said the government can understand their pain and loss and would do all within its means to bring them comfort.
Nawaz Sharif said the government is trying its best to reach out to the far off places. There were some areas that were inaccessible by roads, so helicopters would be used to drop the relief goods.He regretted that the literacy level in the area was quite low.
He said the government would provide more funds for setting up new educational institutions. Referring to the expansion of the Karakoram Highway, the Prime Minister said project would usher in a new era of prosperity for the people of the area.
Nawaz Sharif said big power projects at Dasu, Bhasha and Bunji are being launched in the area. These projects will bring prosperity and development and alleviate poverty.
He announced that local population will be given jobs in all power projects. He directed the concerned authorities to accomplish acquisition of land process for Dasu Power Project at the earliest.