ERRA to be subsumed in NDMA by Dec 31: NDMA chairman

ISLAMABAD, Nov 7 (APP):National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal Thursday said ERRA will be subsumed in NDMA by December 31, 2019, except for the financial matter which would be finalized by the end of budget year.

He said this while chairing the 25th ERRA Board meeting here, a press release said.
The NDMA chairman while briefing ERRA Board members on the subsuming of ERRA into NDMA said in the light of Federal Cabinet’s decision the process of subsuming of ERRA into NDMA was already under process which would be completed by the end of this year.
The budgetary and financial modalities would be finalized by the end of current financial year, he added.

Discussing the future of the ERRA staff, NDMA chairman said existing staff would be adjusted into proposed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other wings that had been proposed for future structure of NDMA.

The main agenda of 25th meeting of ERRA Board was Development of New Balakot City Project on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.

The plan had already been discussed and approved by the prime minister in principle. The boards members had agreed that this project would be a new tourism hub and will be completed taking all stakeholders, including, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and earthquake affected people of old Balakot City into confidence.

The NDMA chairman said the project would be established on self-financing model which would also contribute one percent of total annual Gross Domestic Product which was approximately around US$ 3billion.

He also informed the participants that he envisaged a three tiers self-financing model for NDMA as well, wherein all operational and disaster management expenditures and compensations would be met from NDMA’s own resources.