KP govt accuses Centre, ERRA of not reconstructing 575 quake-hit schools

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday accused the federal government as well as the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) of not utilizing the donors’ funds for the rebuilding of the 575 quake-hit schools, mostly in the Hazara division.

Addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Mohammad Atif Khan said that 2,909 schools were completely or partially damaged as a result of the powerful earthquake on October 8, 2005 in Hazara and Malakand divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Some 700 school buildings were left incomplete while reconstruction work has not started on 575 damaged schools where thousands of students were studying,” he explained.The minister said out of 2,909 schools declared damaged, the federal government did not reconstruct 1,275 schools which need a sum of Rs 15 billion at the moment.

Flanked by the advisor to Chief Minister on Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, the provincial minister said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had allocated Rs 760 billion for 760 earthquake-hit schools in Hazara division where reconstruction work was initiated last week.

“The ERRA did not register or declare about 900 damaged schools after the earthquake in Hazara and Malakand divisions which were demolished for reconstruction but not a single brick was laid there for the last 11 years,” he maintained. He added that certain international NGOs had reconstructed some 240 schools.

Mohammad Atif Khan recalled that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced Rs 8 billion for the earthquake-hit schools in Hazara during his visit to the area but the federal government had yet to materialize the announcement.

“We will put pressure on the federal government to release some Rs 15 billion for the reconstruction of 1,275 damaged schools. If the federal government does not release the fund, the students and parents of quake-hit areas from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would stage a peaceful protest in Islamabad,” the minister stressed.

To a question, he said the federal government should constitute an inquiry committee to find out as to why and who had demolished the damaged schools and did not start reconstruction work on these schools.