Sindh govt allocates Rs5 billion for rain victims

KARACHI: Sindh government has allocated an amount of Rs5 billion to provide immediate assistance to the rain affectees in the entire province.

This was cited by Sindh Minister for Information, Sharjeel Inam Memon in a press briefing. The meeting held to discuss rescue and relief works in rain-devastated areas of the province.

Memon informed the newsmen that earlier a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah made various important decisions to provide assistance to victims.

He said Sindh has received abnormal rain during current monsoon season recording 100 mm to 550 mm in its various parts.

The most hit was district Tharparkar followed by Badin and Shaheed Benazirabad, respectively, he noted.

He said no breach occurred in main canal but some breaches did occur in distributaries which were plugged.

Memon said committees have been constituted to supervise relief activities in all rain-affected areas.

The ministers would lead the bodies in their respective constituencies while MPAs, MNAs and DCOs as well as the members from Treasury and Opposition benches would also be accommodated in the committees, he said.

He said every affected family will be paid Rs10,000 by the Sindh government while Federal government would also be requested to pay equal sum so as to provide a total amount of Rs 20,000 to each affected family.

A cash card would be issued to victims on the pattern of Watan Card and a cash transfer system is also being devised to ensure transparent distribution of financial assistance among affectees, he said.

Memon said total 155 UCs and two million population have been affected by rain in Sindh. The rain also left 85 dead and 267 injured while it also damaged more than five million houses, he added.

He said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has also set up a control room to coordinate relief efforts.

He said Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who is also President of PPP Sindh, has directed the districts presidents and general secretaries of the party to set up relief camps to help rain affectees.

Memon said the government is playing its part in rescue and relief works but the role of NGOs and philanthropists is also needed in this regard. The government would not leave the affectees alone in the need of hour, he added.

Camps would also be set up in different areas to collect relief goods for the affectees, he said.

He said the Sindh CM has visited various rain-hit areas and would also visit other affected areas.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011