Advocacy Campaign on Reconstruction Issues in AJ&K

Background contextual analysis:

The 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Pakistani Administrated Kashmir and
Northern part of the country, on October 8, 2005 was the most devastating natural
disaster in the history of the area. The earthquake was spread over to an area of
approximately 30,000 sq. km across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the
North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

In AJK, 7000 Sq km area was disrupted, 1.8 million population affected, 46,570
deaths, 33,136 injuries, 977 villages affected, 3,14,474 houses damaged in four
affected districts. The earthquake damaged or destroyed 2706 educational
institutions and 176 health institutes in AJK. Some 84 percent of the total housing
stock was damaged or destroyed in AJK. 90 percent of the destroyed or damaged
housing is found in rural areas. Many urban areas were devastated while main
cities, Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawalakot were adversely damaged.

ERRA:

The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) was

established on October 24, 2005, as an autonomous authority (responsible for
reconstruction, rehabilitation, and development of the areas affected by the
earthquake of October 8, 2005 ERRA Ordinance: Section 3). The jurisdiction of
ERRA covers the earthquake damaged areas of Pakistan (in NWFP) and AJK
(Azad Jammu Kashmir).

SERRA:

State Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (SERRA) in the AJK work
as a secretariat for the respective Steering Committee of ERRA. The agency is ERRA’s
counterpart office at the State level and is responsible for: supervising, managing and
coordinating all State reconstruction activities. SERRA coordinates and supervises
district annual work plans for the reconstruction process. They provide backstopping to
the District Reconstruction Units (DRU). The SERRA prepares quarterly and annual
progress reports on all sectors of ERRA. Numbers of reconstruction projects of different
sectors are going to be implemented. (Please see the details of sectors and reconstruction
projects in annexure A).

ERRA Urban Program:

Government of Pakistan and China signed an MoU to rehabilitate and reconstruct

Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawalakot cities of AJK under the AJK Urban
Development Program. The umbrella agreement for this project has already been
signed between the ERRA and two Chinese construction companies. For
Muzaffarabad City, an amount of US $ 190.62 million has been earmarked for
completion of 90 projects, Bagh 50 projects worth $ 123.55 million and Rawalakot
city, 30 projects with a cost of US$ 38.83 million. (For details please see annexure
C.)

But after passing more than three and half years of Oct 2005 Earthquake, no
significant improvement has been made, the issues of reconstruction are increasing
especially, City Development Projects, reconstruction of schools, health facilities
because the ERRA’s planning phase has not yet ended. ERRA’s slogan “Build Back
Better” is still in the files and so for nothing practical has come out for
implementation of the projects. The pace of the work is very much slow which is
creating major concern and frustration among the public. Moreover, exclusion of
concerned citizens from the process of reconstruction is irritating them.

Project Management Unit (PMU):

Master Plans of all three cities have been developed and finalized from last two
years but still implementation of these master plans have not started yet. Moreover,
especially, a separate department namely, Project Management Unit (PMU) has also
been established in Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawalakot districts, for the
implementation of City Development Projects. The mandate of this separate unit is
to coordinate with development authority of relevant district and implement the
City Development Project. Large number of people with handsome salaries has
been hired for the PMU; however, on the contrary, their utilization seems to be
zero, as no ground work has been started at any level. Citizen of cities are still in
ambiguity situation for the reconstruction of their house because they don’t have
any idea that how their city will look like, one the implementation of City
Development Project take off.

EEAP:
Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project (Asian Development Bank funded) is
also another separate sector of SERRA whose mandate is the reconstruction of
schools including construction of health facilities and other public infrastructure i.e
roads, bridges. Reconstruction of total 2835 schools is the responsibility of EEAP
but after passing long time there is no any significant deliverables on the ground.
(For details please see annexure B).
Pace of work so slow, hardly 7 to 8 % of the total schools has been reconstructed so
far. Students are still getting their education in tents or in an open sky. Summer and
winter seasons both are adversely affecting their education. Moreover, issue of
subletting also exists in the tendering process which is dangerous to ensure quality
and safe construction.
The more adverse side of the picture is that, 70 % of total aid money of the
reconstruction is in the form of pledges of WB, ADB and other donors. The need of
the hour is that, this loaning amount should be spent at right place within the right
time; however, most of the amount has been spent on the overhead and
administrative cost of the coordinating and implementing agencies. Ultimately, the
cost of these expenditures will be beard by common and poor people directly or
indirectly. Though the government claims that mega projects have been developed
and will be launched soon; however, the citizens and general public have never been
involved in the process of prioritizing, and phasing of the projects. The processes of
planning projects are done through top-down approach without involvement and
participation of the end users. Moreover, planning and implementing agencies do
not share their work with the concerned citizen, which they have been done so far.
Although, very nominal work has been done, which; however, lacks culture of
information sharing regarding planning, budgeting, and updates regarding
implementation of projects with common people and civil society.

Whenever, it is discussed with government and implementing agencies about the

progress and outcome of reconstruction work, then they make very week
justifications for delay in work and do not feel any accountability towards
concerned citizens. The response from the government is also poor and not in the
favor of common and poor people.

Objectives:
• To raise awareness, organize and strengthen the citizens for mobilizing
around the reconstruction issues and asserting for their rights.
• To influence the government and implementing agencies for information
sharing on reconstruction with citizens.
• To build pressure on government and implementing agencies for the
responsive, accountable and transparent governance in their processes.
 • To build pressure on government and implementing agencies for the speedy
implementation of reconstruction work.

Implementation Strategy:

All planned activities will be organized by the Press for Peace (PFP). As the
mandate of the organization is advocacy on human rights and media awareness
that’s why, firstly, the issues of reconstruction will be highlighted in the media.
At mobilization level, citizens, lawyers, trade unions, and members of CSOs’ will be
sensitize and engage around issues of implementation and a pressure will be built on
the government and implementing, coordinating and monitoring agencies for the
accountability, transparency and responsiveness in their governance systems. At
policy level other advocacy and lobbying efforts will be conducted with the
government authorities for downward accountability towards citizens.

Monitoring of the activities will be the responsibility of Policy Officer and Program
Manager ActionAid Area Office Abbottabad and evaluation will be conducted at
the completion of the campaign. A detailed financial and narrative report will be
submitted to the ActionAid Area Office Abbottabad at the end of the campaign.

First of all activities will be started at State level from Muzaffarabad, which is the
capital of the State of Azad Jammu Kashmir and a press conference will be
organized to highlight the issues of reconstruction along with program introduction
of campaign in Muzaffarabad. Secondly, advocacy and lobbying meetings will be
arranged with state authorities, Minister Reconstruction, DG SERRA, Project
Director EEAP, and Project Director Urban Development Projects/PMUs for
sharing the updates of reconstruction with citizens. Thirdly, meetings will be
conducted with the Program Managers of District Reconstruction Units, and
Development Authorities of three districts-Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawalakot
respectively. At the same time mobilizing activities with citizens will be started. For
awareness, organization and mobilization of citizens, a pamphlet on reconstruction
issues will be printed and distributed among citizens of three districts. Finally, at the
district level, sharing of plans, implementation process and priorities of projects will
be share in a public gathering/seminar in each district, where representatives of
PMU, EEAP, DRU and Development Authorities will be asked share their updates
regarding City Development Project, construction of buildings, social services and
public infrastructure. Due to public gatherings at district level, participants who
will be key persons of different walks of life will come to know about the planning,
implementation, status and priorities of the reconstruction and it will also create a
space for excluded people and the opportunity to raise their concerns about
reconstruction issues and make the state machinery accountable to the people.

The main focus of the campaign will be City Development Projects and construction
of schools, therefore, Project Management Unit (PMU) and Earthquake Emergency
Assistance Project (EAAP) both will be the focus of our advocacy campaign.
Duration of Project:

Total duration of the project will be four months; starts form October 01, 2009 to
December 31, 2009.

Expected Outcomes:

1. Public awareness on reconstruction projects and processes will be raised.

2. Concerned citizen will get technical information and be able to make
accountable to the government.
3. Citizen’s commissions and trader unions will be taken on board for the
sharing of information.
4. Government and implementing agencies will be shared updates of
reconstruction work with the citizens, periodically.
5. Accountability, transparency and responsiveness will be increased in the
process of the government and implementing agencies.
6. Pace of reconstruction work will be speed up and projects will be completed
at given time.