Rp 39.88 Billion For Repair Of Houses In W. Sumatra Damaged By Earthquakes

Padang ( Berita ) :  The West Sumatra provincial administration has handed over Rp 39.888 billion to four regency and city administrations in the province for the repair of 2,625 houses seriously damaged by the earthquakes which hit these areas on September 12 and 13, 2007.

“The money had been handed over in three stages and received by by the four regency and city administrations which had been worse hit by the quakes,” West Sumatra Governor  Gamawan Fauzi said in Padang on Thursday.

He said that the money was part of the  Rp40 billion in first stage aid from  the central government by way of the Social Welfare Coordinating Minister deposited into the West Sumatra provincial administration’s coffers.

The central government assistance was given under the West Sumatra  post-quake rehabilitation and reconstruction action plan for the  2007-2009 period drawn up by the National Development Planning Agency involving a total of Rp391.84  billion, consisting of Rp340.75 billion for the repair of seriously damaged houses, and  Rp51.11 billion for damaged local infrastructure.

Rp 40 billion out of the Rp340.75  for the first-stage of house repairs had already been sent to the West Sumatra provincial administration for distribution to the four regencies and cities which had been worst hit by the September 12 and 13, 2007 quakes.

Rp 13.837 billion had already been received by the Padang Pariaman regency administration on February 22, 2008, for the repair of 910 most seriously damaged home.

On the same date, Rp 3.45 billion had also been handed over to the Padang city administration for the repair of 225 seriously damaged homes.

Later, on February 28, 2008, Rp 12.882 billion had been handed over to the  Pesisir Selatan regency administration for the repair of  850 seriously damaged houses in the area.

On March 6, 2008, Rp 9.714 billion had been handed over to the Mentawai regency administration for the repair of 640 seriously damaged homes, Gamawan said.

The houses had been seriously damaged by an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale on February 12 followed by a 7.7 strong after shock on February 13, 2007. ( ant )