Commissioner for expediting work on New Balakot City Project

The Commissioner Hazara has issued a rebuttal in response to a news item appeared in a section of press blaming the provincial government for delay in implementation of New Balakot City project. According to a hand out issued on Friday, it was clarified that the entire project area for the development of New Balakot City was acquired and handed over by the provincial government to ERRA in 2007, as part of its commitment to the project.
The development work in the entire project area continued smoothly for over two years under total and sole control of ERRA. During these two year, all the responsibilities were handled by ERRA and administration was completely kept out. However, when things got out of control of ERRA on September 3, 2009, after a dispute arose on allotment of plots and shops between ERRA and some locals resulting in a death and injuries to scores of people, the provincial government was called by ERRA to help in resolving the issue.
Upon the request of ERRA, the Divisional and District Administration came to the rescue and got the work started in October 2010, after resolving the outstanding issues between ERRA and the locals. The Honourable Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa graciously released Rs 2.400 million on recommendations of the Chief Secretary as compensation for the victims of September 3, incident in order to remove a big hurdle in the project implementation after the ERRA showed its inability to arrange the amount.
ERRA also communicated to the Divisional and District Administration that it would now follow 'Modular Approach' for implementation of the project and that the administration was required to handover one sector after the other for full development in a step by step manner.
Keeping in view the requirement of ERRA, the 1st sector i.e. Sector D comprising Seri area was opened for full development in October 2010, after hectic and fruitful negotiations with the locals. In July 2011, yet another sector C comprising areas of Batang Maira was opened for development and handed over to ERRA.
The opening of new sector for development involves engagement of the local in intense negotiations, followed by drawing up of lists of entitled locals for allotment of plots in consultation with their representative committee. These lists are sent to ERRA for printing of allotment certificates which are then sent to the District Administration to be given to the entitled residents.