AKF starts rebuilding 4,000 houses for flood-hit people

LAHORE:Alkhidmat Foundation (AKF) Wednesday embarked upon a gigantic project of reconstructing 4,000 destroyed houses in flood-hit areas under its Tameer Watan Programme with an estimated cost of Rs 600 million.

According to AKF spokesman Shoaib Hashmi, the AKF distributed cheques to 100 homeless families to rebuild their houses in Taunsa Tehsil of Dera Ghazi Khan. The spokesman said in the first phase, nearly 4,000 houses would be rebuilt with estimated cost of Rs 150,000 each in south Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, KPK and Gilgit-Baltistan where flood water has receded. He said people would be provided funds to purchase construction material in 3 installments by depositing it in the affected family's bank account to ensure reporting, monitoring and auditing of the home support scheme.

He said the AKF had engaged experts who had conducted surveys in the flood-hit areas and compiled a report where the houses needed to be rebuilt. While priority is being given to orphans and widows, followed by labourers and small landowners, AKF is accepting applications from all the people who have lost their homes. The AKF has completed the construction and repairing of 120 houses in south Punjab so far, he said. The AKF has also provided seeds, fertilisers and agricultural medicines to 500,000 farmers for sowing wheat besides helping in the construction of houses. Completely or partially damaged schools, madrassas and mosques are also being constructed and repaired, in the initial plan to restore 200 schools, madrassas and mosques, he said.