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Govt releases Rs 2.8 billion for IDPs: NA told

Published October 29, 2014 Updated October 29, 2014 01:20pm

ISLAMABAD: Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that the federal government has so far released Rs 2.8 billion in cash for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of North Waziristan.

In Question Hours, he said, an amount of Rs 2.34 billion has also been released to pay the price of 60,000 metric ton of wheat to the World Food Program and Rs 1 billion to Pakistan Army for relief activities.

He said Rs 2 billion monthly was required for the IDPs. He said the government has appealed the international community to provide assistance for the IDPs rehabilitation.

Abdul Qadir Baloch said 80 percent area in North Waziristan agency has been purged of militants. The displaced persons will be facilitated to go back to their homes once the entire area is cleared of the militants. He said the government is committed to complete rehabilitation of the displaced families to their areas.

The Minister for States and Frontier Regions said around 16,000 IDPs of Khyber Agency had been accommodated at Jalozai camp. He said the IDPs of Khyber Agency will also be extended all possible relief and assistance.

He said the registration of IDPs coming from Khyber Agency was in progress and if required central registration point would be established.

He said FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) has carried out Rapid Need Assessment of the damages in North Waziristan Agency in consultation with Law Enforcing Agencies (LEAs), Political Administration and Representatives of Line Departments (FATA).

Qadir Baloch said that detail survey of the losses to private and public property will be conducted once the area is cleared by the LEAs and de-notified by FATA Secretariat after which payment of compensation will be started.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2014