Lack of quorum blocks NDMA KP Bill presentation

RECORDER REPORT

PESHAWAR: National Disaster Management (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) (Amendment) Bill, 2012 could be introduced in Provincial Assembly as the Speaker Kiramatullah Khan due to the lack of quorum adjourned the proceedings of the House till 4:00 pm on Monday.

The purpose of the bill is the recruitment of dedicated staff for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and establishment of effective disaster management system at district level and mechanism for relief, rehabilitation and settlement of the disaster affected people.

The act may be called the National Disaster Management (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and shall be extended to whole province of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into force at once.

The Secretary to government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department, shall be ex-officio member and the Director General of the Provincial Authority, shall be member-cum-secretary, ex-officio. The provincial authority shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal with power, subjected to the provisions of the Act to acquire and hold property both movable and immovable and may by the said name sue and be sued.

Under the Section 15 (A) of the Act, the provincial authority may appoint such officers, advisors, experts, consultants and employees as it may consider necessary for the efficient performance of its functions on such terms and conditions as it may deem fit.

Under 15 (B), the provincial authority may constitute financial, technical and advisory committees as may be deemed necessary for carrying out the purpose of this Act.

The provincial director general shall, in respect of each fiscal year, submit for approval of the provincial authority, by such date and in such manner as may be prescribed, a statement showing the estimated receipts, the current and development expenditures and the sums required as grant-in-aid from the federal government and provincial government.

The provincial authority shall maintain proper accounts and other relevant records and prepare annual statements of accounts in such manner as may be prescribed. The accounts of the authority shall also be audited annually by duly qualified auditors appointed by the provincial authority in addition to the internal audit.

The provincial authority or the district unit or any officer authorised in this behalf may, by order in writing, requisition such resources or premises or vehicles, as the case may, and may make such further orders as may appear to it to be necessary or expedient in this connection;

Provided that with respect to the powers conferred by clauses (b), (c), (d) and (e) the owners of premises, resources, vehicles, shall be entitled to claim reasonable compensation as admissible under any law for the time being in force, or and such compensation shall be paid immediately in respect of human resources and within year from day it falls due in respect of others:

Provided further that any owner of premises, resources vehicle etc being aggrieved by the amount of compensation so determined may within thirty days make an application to the provincial government:

Provided also that where there is any dispute as to the title to receive the compensation or as to the apportionment of the amount of compensation, it shall be referred to the provincial government for taking a decision as may be expedient for just and equitable apportionment of the amount of compensation.

Payment of compensation where by reason of any disaster, which results in a substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of property or a large scale migration of the affected people consequent to the disaster, there shall be paid compensation to the affected people for the losses to the life or property, in addition to relief, rehabilitation, settlement activities: Provided that amount of compensation shall be determined by the provincial government.

Subject to the provisions of this Act and rules made hereunder, the provincial authority may make regulations, as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act.