ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Friday, expressing serious anger over the absence of the Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Shazia Marri, and chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has observed that millions of flood-affected people in various parts of calamity-hit areas are still waiting for state assistance to get shelters.
These observations were made by the members of the Senate Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety which met here under the chairmanship of Senator Naseebullah Bazai.
The committee members while showing displeasure over the absence of the relevant ministers and other senior officials said that despite written invitations to the state functionaries to join the meeting and brief the panel on the plight of the flood-affected people, they ignored the meeting while millions of affected people are staying under open sky during harsh winter.
The NDMA officials, while briefing the committee regarding the financial relief granted to flood affectees said that following the devastating floods, the government had declared 19 districts “calamity hit” across the country. They said that the floods have killed a total of 1,739 persons and 12,867 individuals suffered injuries. 1,280,191 houses have been partially damaged and 768,598 houses have been fully damaged in these districts. They further added that the survey data was conducted by Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) of each province and verified by Pakistan Army and the NDMA.
Officials of the Benazir Income Supports Program (BISP) informed the panel that the department was taking all possible measures to help flood victims and so far, the government has provided Rs76.17 billion in assistance to the flood affectees. They said that the government was working on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-hit areas and will not leave the people alone.
Senator Kamran Murtaza inquired as to whether the compensation has been provided in these districts or not. In reply, officials informed that the provision of compensation for flood-affected districts is the prerogative of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives as part of the policy of the government.
Senator Kamran Murtaza reiterated that six months have passed but nothing in name of relief or compensation has been provided to affectees of flood-affected districts. He opined that the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives should be made part of the discussion to speed up the relief process. The committee decided to invite the Planning Ministry and deferred the deliberation on the matter till the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by senators, Prof Dr Taj Roghani, Seemee Ezdi, Aon Abbas Buppi, Keshoo Bai, Kamran Murtaza, Molvi Faiz Muhammad, Dr Sania Nishtar, Additional Secretary Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Dr Farah Masood, Member Finance National Disaster Management Authority Syed Ahsan, DG BISP Naveed Akbar, and other relevant officers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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