An amount of Rs 50, 000 instead of Rs 30,000 should immediately be provided to all the flood hit families: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD, August 15 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has issued directions for the payment of cash assistance of Rs 50 thousand per family to the flood-affected people within three days. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will provide Rs. 50,000 cash relief to every flood affected family under the supervision of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), he added. PM Shehbaz Sharif said an amount of 50, 000 rupees instead of 30,000 rupees should immediately be provided to all the flood hit families.

The Prime Minister was presiding over a meeting of the Relief Coordination Committee constituted for the flood affected areas. The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Dr. Miftah Ismail, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyam Aurangzeb, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Maulana Asad Mehmood, Advisor to PM Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chairman NDMA Lt. Gen. Akhtar Nawaz and relevant senior officials. Minister for Housing Maulana Abdul Wasay, Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Member Provicial Assembly (MPA) Balochistan Sanaullah Baloch attended the meeting through video-link.

The Prime Minister further said that the disbursement of cash relief should be ensured through electronic transfer so that the deserving people get relief. He directed the Flood Relief Coordination Committee to finalize the process of Rs. 50,000 cash relief disbursement and present its report by today evening. The Prime Minister said that the joint survey in coordination with the provincial governments for the assessment of flood-related losses should be completed in three weeks instead of five weeks. The provincial governments should also cooperate and coordinate with NDMA regarding the joint survey at the earliest and to ensure timely relief for the flood affected people, he added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that it was the provincial governments’ prerogative to become part of the federal government’s flood relief efforts, adding, however, the federal government will ensure the relief and rehabilitation of the flood affected people through its own resources. He also directed the Minister for Information and Broadcasting to formulate a comprehensive awareness campaign in that regard.

The meeting was told that a survey will be conducted in coordination with the provincial governments to assess the damages caused by the recent spell of rains and floods. It was further told that by the time survey was completed, the government, through BISP, will provide Rs. 30,000 cash relief to each flood affected family. The Prime Minister, however, directed to enhance the cash relief to Rs. 50,000 for each affected family and disburse the same under the supervision of NDMA.

The meeting was further told that as the federal government was in contact with international donors and other welfare institutions, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank have already assured to provide necessary funds for the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure and rehabilitation activities in the flood affected areas.

Besides, the meeting was told that teams of doctors and paramedics have been sent to the flood affected areas and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) was assessing the damages in affected educational institutions. Chief Minister Balochistan and Provincial Chief Secretary briefed the meeting in detail about the life and material losses in Balochistan due to recent rains and the rescue and relief measures taken by the provincial government.