Attabad disaster: Aid for Gojalis not distributed fairly, say lawmakers

Govt released Rs20m out of the promised Rs75m for students fees.

GILGIT:

Lawmakers on Thursday expressed doubts over the distribution and utilisation of aid sent after the landslide in Attabad, and ordered an inquiry into the disbursement of funds.

“Where have those millions of rupees gone? We should be told about that,” Mirza Hussain, a member from Hunza-Nagar district questioned during the legislative assembly’s session.

Hussain said besides NGOs and foreign aid, governments of all provinces also donated millions to the Gilgit-Baltistan government after the landslide in Attabad in 2010 that left over 25,000 people marooned in Gojal. He said two years on, their situation has still not improved.

“If China had not sent relief for the disaster-hit people, the residents of Gojal would have died of hunger,” he said, adding that the total donations received by the government were more than Rs400 million. Hussain further said the matter is of grave concern and should be investigated.

Mutabiat Shah, also a lawmaker from Hunza, directed the assembly’s attention towards problems with the education system. He said a large number of students enrolled in various institutions across the country had to leave their education as they could not pay the tuition fee because the government did not provide the promised funds.

According to a survey conducted in 2011, 700 students from Gojal were enrolled in institutions across the country where the tuition fee was to be paid by the government. “The government had to release Rs75 million, but only Rs20 million has been distributed so far,” said Shah, adding they had sent a summary in this regard to the chief minister (CM) two years back, but have not heard from him since.

Assembly Speaker Wazir Baig took notice of the delay and asked the government to release the money immediately. Baig appreciated the government’s efforts, but said education should not be compromised.

The session also debated whether a new district should be carved out and if the CM has the authority to do so.

Baig said the issue of CM’s authority should be consulted with a legal expert.

He added that the budget given to them in the local governance order was for seven districts and they cannot support another district.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2013.