Deaths in natural calamities: KP cabinet approves increase in compensation package

PESHAWAR: KP cabinet on Tuesday approved the increase in compensation package for heirs of those people who die in natural calamities. According to the details, the provincial cabinet approved to increase the compensation from Rs 300,000 to Rs 800,000 for those who died in natural calamities. The cabinet also gave approval to increase the compensation for the damages of houses in natural disasters from Rs 100,000 to Rs 400,000.

While briefing the media after provincial cabinet meeting held here, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Labour, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai said Chief Minister Mehmood Khan has ordered to launch a full-scale operation against encroachment in the flood-affected districts across the province.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

The minister said the chief minister also directed to open the closed roads across the province immediately.

Shaukat Yousafzai said the cabinet appreciated the performance of the district administration and government agencies including Rescue 1122 for the immediate relief operations during the floods in the province.

The minister said the CM has directed to open rescue 1122 centers in the districts with mineral mines so that immediate relief activities can be started in case of accidents and the lives of the miners can be saved.

Furthermore, he informed the provincial cabinet has decided to continue the subsidy on flour and directed the public to continue supplying flour at subsidised rates throughout the year. He added the government is spending Rs 35 billion as subsidy on flour.

Flour is available in surplus quantities in the province, he claimed.

More than 200,000 bags of 10 kg and 20 kg were being provided daily in the province at discounted rates, the minister told the media.

From August 15, the minister assured the flour quota will be increased to two and a half lakh bags per day.

Yousafzai in the light of Peshawar High Court’s orders said the provincial cabinet deliberated on the reservation of seats in the medical and dental colleges established across the country for the ex-Fata region according to the population or the erstwhile tribal agencies.

A writ was filed in the Supreme Court to make it proportional to the population, the minister said.

After which, the minister said the Peshawar High Court had sent the matter to the cabinet for consideration, on which the cabinet on Tuesday decided to maintain the old quota for now.

The minister said the cabinet approved the extension of three members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission, Pir Fida Muhammad MPA, Samira Shams MPA and Abdul Ghafoor as commission members for the second term.

He said the cabinet on the proposal of the Housing department has allocated an additional Rs 39.55 million for package one as per the revised PC-I for the construction of 1320 flats under Prime Minister Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme in PHA Housing Scheme Jalozai district, Nowshera.

Rs 818.668 million was sanctioned for completion, the minister informed.

Yousafzai said the cabinet has approved allocation of Rs 4300 million as non-AD scheme for designing and construction of irrigation channels of Mohmand Dam Hydro Project and Rs 200 million for this year.

The minister maintained the provincial government sent 32 trucks of relief goods to the flood victims of Balochistan. This includes tents, blankets, foam and food items, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022