Skills development needed for quake hit: Report

New Delhi, May 27 (UNI) A training programme for masons and skilled labourers, supply of building material through fair price hardware shops and speedy repair of the civil administration apparatus are among steps needed to help victims of last year's devastating earthquake in Kashmir, a civil society report released today says.

The Government prioritised the compensation aspect as compared to relief and rehabilitation, thus mismanaging efforts to help the thousands of families affected by the magnitude 7.6 quake of October 8, the report prepared by the Pakistan-India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) said.

The report was prepared after a survey of damages caused by the quake to 21,000 houses in 39 villages of Karna tehsil in Kupwara district and 109 villages of Uri tehsil in Baramulla district, PIPFPD General Secretary Tapan K Bose and founder member Mushabir Hasan told a news conference.

The Government stressed on payment of compensation to the affected families even as there was a serious shortage of construction material and even as it was yet to complete its ''primary duty'' of providing immediate relief to them, the report pointed out.

Apart from generating conflict within families, the compensation distribution created a situation where money had reached the hands of the people even before the supply of materials was arranged.

Prices of building materials went up in the Valley as a result.

The problem had accentuated because the ban on logging in the hills had resulted in a shutdown of sawmills.

A rehabilitation package of Rs 800 crore announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not reached the state till March, they claimed.

Stressing the need to build quake-resistant structures, the report said the Government should start largescale training programme for local masons and skilled labourers.

It said the Government needs to focus more attention on Uri as compared to Karna tehsil since the number of quake-affected were more, but less resourceful in this belt.

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