The decision to this effect was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani. The meeting approved the amendment to the Local Government Ordinance Sections 42(4) and 69(4).
The cabinet also discussed about quake relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the affected districts of the province. The meeting decided owners of damaged houses would be given Rs 1,75000.
The meeting approved compensation to the dead of Tableeghi Jamaat of Karak, Kohat and Bannu volunteers and others died during aftershocks in the five affected districts. The DCOs of concerned districts were directed to submit details of such cases.
Through another move, the cabinet directed the Bank of Khyber to be more flexible in clearing the cheques for compensation to the victims. The elected representatives including union council nazims and MPAs should verify such cases. The cabinet okayed the contract-based appointments for running and managing tent villages in the affected areas.
The cabinet was of the opinion schools should not be used for relief activities and directed district administrations of affected areas to identify suitable places to be given to agencies and NGOs involved in the relief activities to continue their work for relief and help of the victims.
The cabinet was told Federal Relief Commissioner would soon provide 300 tarpaulins demanded by education department for setting up colleges in affected areas.
The meeting recommended to the Federal Relief Commissioner to provide 20,000 tons of wheat instead of atta as its share in the 50,000-ton Turkish relief goods.
The cabinet was informed the reported number of deaths from earthquake was 29,360, out of which 21,850 had been registered. Similarly, the reported number of injured people was 37,372; out of which 14,581 were registered. The number of affected houses is reported to be 3,14,740.
A total of 25,151 tents, 77,189 blankets, 14,171 quilts, 17,894 mattresses, 1,339 cartons of medicines, 116 trucks of food items, 267 generators, 27 satellite phones and 6,380 miscellaneous items have so far been distributed among the victims.
Rupees four billion has so far been distributed among the victims as compensation money in the affected districts including Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra, Batagram, Abbottabad, Swat, Buner, Charsada, Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan districts.
The cabinet was further informed the World Food Programme would provide food to victims in Allai, Batagram - in district Shangla, in Balakot, Kaghan and Naran, Sern valley, Kala Dhaka and Palas in Kohistan.