Distribution of relief items in Gojal Valley almost completed
PT Report
Shishkat, December 6: The distribution process of relief items among the people of Gojal Valley has almost completed. The relief items have been provided by the government of China, to support the families affected by closure of the Karakuram Highway (KKH) since January 2010.
The relief items were distributed by committees of the local people, with the help of government officials and Jawans of the Pakistan Army.
The entire population of Gojal, almost 25,000 people, had been divided into three categories for the purpose of relief distribution. The first category comprised of people who had lost their homes and land and are living as IDPs. These people got food items, like flour, cooking oil, rice, sugar etc. for a period of one year.
The second category of affected people comprised of those who had lost their land. They got relief items for a period of 8 months.
The rest of Gojal’s population was put in the third category, because the entire region has suffered due to prolonged disconnection from markets. They received food items for a period of 6 months.
Apart from some minor complaints, the distribution process was relatively smooth this year.
The people of Gojal have thanked the Chinese government for the generous support during their hours of difficulty.
I think to categorise the people of Gojal in this situation is to drag the people into conflicts and diverting thier minds from the fandemental issues like education, health, transporation, unbearable price hike, development activities and perhaps from the corruption made by the District Hunza-Nagar Administration and party owned contractors in relief activities. The people of Gojal in large have never favoured the food relief and it is fact that this will make our people dependent for ever but the big question is that who are emphasising for this. It is fact that the corrupt mafia of govt. and comission agent party workers of Gojal have made the relief as thier source of income and in the recent relief transportation charges from the affactees is the big example that a truck charges from soust to Hussaini was fixed to Rs.28000. This shamful act must be stopped and we all must force the govt to work honestly for the discharge of the dam water and to link the road.
I think blaming the government for everything is not fair. The affectees committee of Gojal, Attabad, Shishkat and Hunza met the CM, CS and the Speaker to bring relief goods from China. If the affectees committee has requested the government it should own it. You are getting the relief goods and then you are not happy for being dependent. If there is no relief you again blame the government for not helping or bringing relief. Why there is not consensus on certain issues? the Attabad affactees have different demands, the Shishkatis have different, the gulmit has different whereas the upper Gojal like sost,chipursen, moorkhun has different. The transportation claim of last year as claimed by the contractor is Rs. 12.7 million which was pending till July 2011. I dont know the current situation. even I dont know whetther this much claim is justified or not but just to narrate the facts. So the village organizations and community should come forward with defined goals and consensus meet with all concerned. Only writing on a blog or sending an SMS is not the solution.