Government distributed Rs 11 billion among KP earthquake victims, National Assembly told

Over Rs 11 billion were distributed among the recent earthquake's victims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as compensation with a share of Rs 5.5 billion of the federal government, Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid told the National Assembly on Thursday during the Question Hour. "The government made no international appeal for donation after the last year's earthquake," he said. Estimated cost of infrastructure losses and damages to public property in the recent earthquake in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was Rs 19.84 billion, he said.
The provincial government prepared Earthquake Recovery Plan which includes short, medium and long term strategic phases for all 13 earthquake affected districts with a total estimated cost of Rs 19.84 billion, out of which Rs 18.058 billion is the cost for seven severely-affected districts, he said. The minister said that priority had been given to the needs of seven severely-affected districts of Malakand division. "Funds will be allocated by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for reconstruction of damaged infrastructure from its own resources and donation from donor agencies," he said.
A donors/partners' conference was organized by Provincial Disaster Management Authority Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 10th December, 2015 in Islamabad under the chairmanship of chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of UN has committed to arrange $6.14 million under project titled "Support to Agriculture Recovery in Earthquake-hit Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," he said. To another question, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmad told the National Assembly that the government had increased security at airports and enhanced the capability of Airport Security Force personnel to prevent any terrorist attack.
He said that ASF had acquired modern aviation security gadgets and screening equipment with the cooperation of Government of Japan and Bahrain for increasing security of airports. The minister said that an Integrated Security System had been installed at Lahore airport, which would be extended to other airports as well. The modern arms and vehicles have been procured to enhance security cover of the airports, he said.
Talking about performance of employees of the Pakistan International Airlines, he said that a number of steps had recently been taken by the management of the PIACL to enhance the performance of their employees and to boost their morale as well as their well-being, which ultimately contributes to overall operational efficiency and efficacy of the organization.
A Festival Allowance has been introduced for all staff cadre employees, which is admissible to them on major religious festivals like Eid, Christmas, and Diwali, according to the respective religion, he said, adding that medical facilities have further been augmented by allowing lifetime admissibility of this facility to special children of employees.
The minister said that a handsome salary raise had recently been granted to staff cadre employees at the rate of 50 percent for PG-I and PG-II employees and at the rate of 45 percent for PG-III and PG-IV employees. Ad-hoc salary raise at the rate of 17 percent has been granted to officer cadre employees whereas negotiations are currently underway with the representative association of PIA officers, for a practicable increase in their salaries, he said. Shaikh Aftab said that different motivational course and trainings had been designed and were being imparted to employees in addition to their regular mandatory courses and trainings with respect to their respective trades, with a particular focus on customer services.