Brigadier Abdul Quddus Khattak told newsmen here on Monday during the visit of Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli to the quake hit areas of Balakot and Shinkiari.
Anisa Zeb said government was mobilising all resources for relief and rehabilitation of quake stricken people, she said this while inaugurating a computerised Database and Resource Center here.
Full Gospel Assemblies (FGA) Church Lahore has donated computer equipment for database center to be utilized by Brigade Headquarters in Balakot for keeping record and update of quake related relief and rehabilitation activities, distribution of compensation cheques and other relevant records.
The Minister of State said government, after establishing tent villages and tent cities for affected people in various parts of quake hit areas, was now focussing on iron-sheets made one-room shelter houses, so that people on hilltops were able to survive in chilly winter weather.
Brigadier Abdul Quddus Khattak at the Brigade Headquarters also gave a briefing to Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli and representatives of FGA Church Lahore and the Human Rights Peace and Justice - an NGO about the relief operation in the area.
Brigadier Khattak informed army had started work on provision of over 1300 pre-fabricated one-room shelter houses constructed with the help of local population made out of iron sheets to the quake hit people.
He said one-room shelter house (20 feet long and 10 feet wide), which costs around Rs 10,000 and accommodates a family of six to eight people, is assembled by using 24 iron sheets, fixed on three to four feet high walls.
Brigadier Khattak said they provided the people with iron sheets who raised walls for that purpose on self-help basis, adding walls had been raised for another over 1,700 such houses and they would now provide them sheets.
He said the army and NGOs had established 31 tent villages in Balakot area, where 22,200 people were being accommodated with free food, ration, medical and school facilities.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli later visited the army base in Shinkiari Tehsil Mansehra to secure an update of relief and rehabilitation efforts in Siron Valley.
She also inaugurated a computerised database center at Shinkiari base. An NGO - Human Rights Peace and Justice had donated the computer system.
Brigadier Abdul Aziz Tariq briefed the Minister of State and representatives of NGOs and media that army and various NGOs had constructed some 2,000 iron-sheets shelter houses in various parts of the valley.
He said the elected representatives of area particularly the representatives of local government could help army in distribution of compensation cheques for injured and damage of houses through verification of rightful affected people.
Anisa Zeb on this occasion assured all out support to the army in that respect and expressed satisfaction over relief and rehabilitation efforts in the area.
FGA Church Lahore Chairman Professor Liaquat Qaiser on this occasion indicated the FGA Church would consider on the 'own a village' idea, under which they could construct one village each in Balakot and Shinkiari for quake affected people.