Sindh govt allocates Rs.5bn for rain affectees

KARACHI: Sindh Government has allocated an amount of Rs. 5 billion to provide immediate assistance to the rain affectees in the entire province, said Sindh Minister for Information, Sharjeel Inam Memon at a press briefing about a meeting held to discuss rescue and relief works in rain-devastated areas of the province.

Sharjeel Memon informed the newsmen that earlier a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah made various important decisions to provide assistance to affectees.

He said Sindh has received abnormal rain during current monsoon season recording 100 mm to 550 mm in its various parts. The most hit was district Tharparkar followed by Badin and Shaheed Benazirabad, he noted.

He said no breach occurred in main canal but some breaches did occur in distributries which were plugged.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said committees have been constituted to supervise relief activities in all rain-affected areas. The ministers would lead the bodies in their respective constituencies while MPAs, MNAs and DCOs as well as the members from Treasury and Opposition benches would also be accommodated in the committees, he said.

He said every affected family will be paid Rs 10,000 by the Sindh government while Federal government would also be requested to pay equal sum so as to provide a total amount of Rs 20,000 to each affected family.

A cash card would be issued to affectees on the pattern of Watan Card and a cash transfer system is also being devised to ensure transparent distribution of financial assistance among affectees, he said.

Sharjeel Memon said total 155 UCs and 2 million population have been affected by rain in Sindh. The rain also left 85 dead and 267 injured while it also damaged more than five million houses, he added. (APP)