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| Damage assessment survey in Swat to start tomorrow |
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Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Delawar Jan
PESHAWAR: The provincial government has finalised preparation to launch a 20-day damage assessment survey in the militancy-battered Swat valley from November 5 to compensate people for their losses.
The survey, being started by the Provincial Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority (PaRRSA), will only focus on the assessment of houses destroyed during the militancy and military operation to compensate the people. However, other losses like the destruction of crops and orchards, will not be assessed during the drive. “It’s only a housing survey,” said Muhammad Atif, media specialist of PaRRSA.
The people of Swat suffered huge losses during two-year of militancy and military operations as hundreds of houses were either blown up by the militants or destroyed by bombardment and shelling carried out by the security force. Crops and orchards owned by people were also destroyed. The infrastructure-schools, bridges, roads, health facilities-was badly damaged by the militants’ attacks and military’s actions.
The government carried massive military actions in Swat, Buner and Lower Dir to defeat the Taliban militants. The damage-assessment campaign is being kicked off only in Swat valley, which suffered the most due to militancy.
The PaRRSA said it was accelerating its efforts to start work on the drive. Atif said some 65 survey teams had been formed to carry out the survey, and added that the authorities imparted a day-long training to the members of the teams on Tuesday. The members included government officials, nazimeen and other elders. There would be a survey team, a tehsil steering committee and district steering committee to accomplish the task.
The survey team would consist of a Patwari, an official of the army engineering corps and one or two elders. Assistant commissioner, an officer of the army of a major rank and one or two area elders will make tehsil steering committee.
The district steering committee would comprise of district coordination officer, an army officer of colonel rank and all eight members of the NWFP Assembly. He said the steering committees at the district and tehsil levels would monitor assessment campaign to ensure transparency in the process. The survey teams will go door-to-door to collect data.
The media specialist of the PaRRSA said the survey would last for 20 days, from Nov 5 to Nov 25 while complaints could be registered for the next 15 days. The News learnt the team would only record the damage to the property but could not suggest the amount of compensation. Also, all departments — including agriculture, health, education, communication & works, etc — have been asked to prepare a need-based report of their respective departments.
Similarly, preparations are in final stages to launch a Post Conflict Need Assessment (PCNA) to include social protection, gender, health, education, etc. The World Bank will carry out this assessment.
The survey is being launched after stabilisation of security situation in the volatile Swat district. “The government allowed the launching of the drive after ensuring a peaceful environment in Swat,” Atif said.
Appreciating support of the UN bodies and NGOs in relief of the IDPs, Director General PaRRSA, Shakeel Qadar, urged them to play their role in reconstruction and rehabilitation. He said that 67 NGOs had been granted the license to work in Swat but many did not start their operations.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
