Financial assistance through Watan Cards: over 0.7 million to be deprived of second tranche

More than 0.7 million Watan Card holders (flood survivors) belonging to Sindh would be deprived of the second tranche of Rs 40,000 because Sindh government has effected a huge cut in the list of actual flood affected cardholders, well-placed sources told Business Recorder on Saturday.
Sindh government had provided Watan cards to more than 1 million heads of flood affected families with initial financial assistance of Rs 20,000 while, Federal government had promised to give them Rs 80,000 more in the head of financial assistance under the same Watan cards.
Sources said that Sindh government has made a cut on the list of actual Watan card holders in the light of survey conducted by the local officials of Sindh Revenue department including Mukhtiarkars and tapedars. The Mukhtiarkars of every flood affected area had directed the tapedars to conduct survey with the help of their staffs as to how many homes had been damaged fully and partially and the second tranche would be given to those whose homes had been damaged fully during the Super Floods of last year, sources said.
The floods of last year had brought large-scale devastation in the province with 11,985 villages badly affected almost in all districts of province excluding Karachi. The inefficiency of Irrigation experts and over-influence of local politicians had also played a major role in that devastation which led to the sinking of towns including Khairpur Nathan Shah, Garhi Khero and others first time in the history of province, sources said.
Millions of flood affected people had stayed in hundreds of relief camps established in Karachi, Hyderabad and other areas of the province but this step of modifying the list of Watan cardholders would create anarchy among flood survivors, sources added. The number of people has been lowered due to alleged corruption of the revenue officials, depriving the displaced people of their fundamental right to rehabilitate, sources said.
The other main reason behind the lowering number of Watan cardholders in next phase is that federal and provincial governments were supposed to contribute equally for the provision of Watan Cards. However, the Centre deviated from its pledge and directed the provinces to rehabilitate flood survivors on their own, sources said.
Now, the Sindh government and the Nadra have decided to issue the second instalment of Watan Card to those identified by the revenue officials only. However, those who did not grease the palm of revenue authorities would remain deprived of the instalment, sources added. When contacted, Sindh Minister for Rehabilitation Haji Muzafar Shujrah said that yes, Sindh and federal governments have released equal amounts for the provision of second tranche of Rs 40,000 to the 260,000 Watan cardholders because their homes had been damaged fully due to floods. He said not the Revenue Department but a third party had conducted the survey, so only 260,000 people would get second tranche of Watan Cards not all cardholders.