82% of quake-hit houses rebuilt
The state government has spent approximately Rs 3,000 crores for post-quake rehabilitation, reconstruction and compensation wherein 82 per cent of houses have been rebuilt.

Principal secretary to the state chief minister and Gujarat State Disaster Management Association CEO Dr P.K. Mishra said here that 82 per cent of reconstruction work and 97 per cent of repairs have been completed in the state whereas 42,000 school buildings have been repaired in the aftermath of the earthquake on Republic Day in 2001.

However, when asked about the 400 persons charged with corruption in the lifting of debris from quake affected areas Dr Mishra said lifting of debris comprised work worth only Rs 10-15 crores and the corruption was minor aberrations in a massive task.

Addressing a press conference at the GMDC building Mr Mishra said work on the urban infrastructure has already begun and the construction at the relocation sites has also begun with several houses already constructed.

Earlier in a power point presentation Dr Mishra said the experts meet on disaster management will be the focus of the international workshop on Post Earthquake Reconstruction on September 30, 2003 at Gandhidham in the Kutch district. He said experts from USA, Japan, Turkey, Algeria and other quake affected areas have been invited for the event.

While claiming that the reconstruction and rehabilitation work done by the state government has been the best in the world Dr Mishra said the idea of organising the workshop in Gandhidham is to let national and international experts themselves see and judge for themselves the work actually done in the quake affected areas.

The workshop is being organised as part of Vibrant Gujarat-global investor’s meet organised by the state government. Dr Mishra said the workshop aims to increase networking with international agencies, improve upon the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme, create benchmarks for future R&R activities and capacity building and formulation of policy and strategy based on workshop proceedings.

Republished from The Asian Age