Flood victims of Balochistan: provincial government has released Rs 500 million: minister

Government should utilise all available resources for speeding up the process of rehabilitation of flood stricken people of Balochistan as thousands of affectees were still homeless and need help in restoring of their source of income.
It was observed by the speakers and participants in a seminar held here on Thursday on Challenge in Pro-Poor flood Recovery and Rehabilitation in Balochistan organised by Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) and Oxfam. Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd presided over the seminar while Minister for Revenue Engineer Zamrak Khan Piralizai was chief guest.
Participants submitted various recommendations for accelerating the rehabilitation work in the flood-affected areas Jaffarabad, Nasirabad and other districts of the province that badly hit by heavy rains and floods. They suggested that National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities should be made financially sound as both institutions remained fail in rescue and relief operations in the flood stricken areas of Balochistan.
It was suggested in the seminar that a separate minister of Disaster Management should be set up and a 10 year perspective plan for "Safer Balochistan" should be prepare to make the province completely disaster resilient from future disasters. The Balochistan Finance Minister, Mir Asim Kurd while speaking at the seminar said that provincial government has provided Rs 500 million for the rehabilitation of flood affectees of Balochistan while federal government was requested to provide maximum funds for the rehabilitation of the flood victims.
Balochistan Minister for Local Government Eng. Zamarak Khan lauded the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps for launching a comprehensive rescue and relief operation in flood-hit districts of Balochistan. A senior journalist Siddiq Baloch recalled that Balochistan had suffered six major disasters during last nine years including drought, heavy rains and floods. Bijar Khan of Pakistan Red Crescent Society Balochistan warned that recent earthquake of 7.3 magnitude of a red signal that our disaster management authorities should remain alert to deal with any possible disaster related situation. Professor Nadeem Malik of Balochistan University, Khalida Brohi and Abdul Qayyum also spoke in the seminar.-PR