Over Rs18bn paid to tribals for damaged properties.

Byline: Zulfiqar Ali

PESHAWAR -- Compensation amounting millions of rupees has been distributed among the people whose properties were destroyed in the five tribal districts in former Fata during years of conflict while thousands of other families await validation of their claims.

Under Citizen Losses Compensation Programme (CLCP), of the total 111,824 houses damaged in conflict in the tribal districts, about 72,000 have been verified by the official steering committees in these five districts. Survey for verification and validation of the damaged properties is still in progress in the affected districts.

Cheques amounting to Rs18.4 billion have been distributed among the affected people according to a CLCP release. The remaining 39,582 claims have yet to be validated for possible compensation. Request for Rs1.094 billion has been forwarded to the provincial finance department for further release to deputy commissioners of the respective tribal districts.

Thousands still await compensation as in some areas claims are yet to be validated

The offensives against militants resulted in mass demolition of houses and commercial properties in the five tribal districts. Damaged business properties have not been included in the CLCP survey. Unverified reports suggest demolition of 15,000 shops in Mirali and Miramshah alone.

Federal government has launched separate venture under the banner of economic revitalisation programme fund to pay cash grant to small entrepreneurs in the militancy-affected areas for their losses. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department is now overseeing compensation programme and reconstruction activities after merger of former Fata with the province.

An official said that majority of the houses in the conflict hit areas, which were made of mud-stones, were damaged due to disuse and lack of maintenance as the residents had abandoned the structures eight years ago.

Officials said that 83,125 cases of fully damaged and 28,699 cases of partially damaged houses were reported from those five districts. South Waziristan's Mehsud tribe dominated area topped the list and total 70,270 tentative and unverified cases have been reported so far from there.

The district steering committee has verified only 32,696 cases for compensation in South Waziristan and Rs7.95 billion has been paid to the households through cheques. In North Waziristan, Rs3.16 billion has been paid for 4,902 fully damaged and 7,515...