By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed to ensure the provision of Rs. 50,000 relief to each flood affected family in the flood hit areas through a transparent process within the three days. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will provide Rs. 50,000 cash relief to every flood affected family under the supervision of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), he added.
A meeting of the Relief Coordination Committee established for the flood-affected areas was being presided over by the prime minister. Federal Ministers Miftah Ismail, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyam Aurangzeb, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Maulana Asad Mehmood, PM Advisor Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chairman of the NDMA Lt. Gen. Akhtar Nawaz, and pertinent senior officials were present at the meeting.
Minister for Housing Maulana Abdul Wasay, Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Member Provicial Assembly (MPA) Balochistan Sanaullah Baloch attended the meeting through video-link. The Prime Minister further said that the disbursement of cash relief should be ensured through electronic transfer so that the deserving people get relief. He directed the Flood Relief Coordination Committee to finalize the process of Rs. 50,000 cash relief disbursement and present its report by today evening.
The Prime Minister said that the joint survey in coordination with the provincial governments for the assessment of flood-related losses should be completed in three weeks instead of five weeks. The provincial governments should also cooperate and coordinate with NDMA regarding the joint survey at the earliest and to ensure timely relief for the flood affected people, he added.
The federal government would ensure the relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people using its own resources, the prime minister said, adding that it is the provinces’ right to participate in the federal government’s flood relief operations. Additionally, he gave the Minister of Information and Broadcasting instructions to create a thorough awareness campaign in that area.
The meeting was told that a survey will be conducted in coordination with the provincial governments to assess the damages caused by the recent spell of rains and floods. It was further told that by the time survey was completed, the government, through BISP, will provide Rs. 30,000 cash relief to each flood affected family.
The Prime Minister, however, directed to enhance the cash relief to Rs. 50,000 for each affected family and disburse the same under the supervision of NDMA. The meeting was further told that as the federal government was in contact with international donors and other welfare institutions, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank have already assured to provide necessary funds for the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure and rehabilitation activities in the flood affected areas.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) was also analysing the damage to impacted educational institutions, and teams of doctors and paramedics had been dispatched to the flood-stricken areas. The meeting was briefed by the Chief Minister of Balochistan and the Provincial Chief Secretary on the rescue efforts and material losses that have occurred in Balochistan as a result of the recent rains.
