Attabad tragedy: Audit report of relief aid to be made public

GBLA speaker takes action after complaints from people of Gojal.


Express June 01, 2011

GILGIT:


Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Speaker Wazir Baig said that an audit report will be carried out into the money received by the Gilgit Baltistan administration in the wake of the Attabad tragedy.


“The audit report will be then presented in the legislative assembly,” Baig told The Express Tribune. Although he didn’t explain the reason behind his decision, it is believed that the complaints raised by the people of Gojal forced him to take action.

In January 2010, a massive landslide blocked Hunza River at Attabad, creating a lake that not only submerged a large stretch of the Karakoram Highway, but also five villages upstream.

Including China and the Punjab government, dozens of philanthropists, charity organisations, members of the civil society and non-governmental organisations had not only provided financial support but also relief goods for the victims of the tragedy.

As the media highlighted the issues, the flow of aid to the region intensified from the international community with donors and funding agencies directly and indirectly approaching the displaced people.

Last year China donated food, coal and diesel for the people of Gojal, the road to which is still blocked.

The people of Gojal have been faced with hardships ever since the tragedy occurred and have often raised questions over the distribution of aid among the people.

“Details of the money spent is yet to be sought from concerned officials,” said Baig, who himself belongs to the disaster-hit district of Hunza.

The speaker conveyed his sympathies with the people of Attabad and Gojal, and added that the audit will be carried out by an
auditor general.

Baig said that if the task of draining the lake is handed over to China, the issue can be settled soon. He said that the spillway will be dug 100 metres deep so as to let the water stored inside flow out.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2011.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ