Rain affected people get compensation worth Rs 7,000 million: CS

HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Secretary, Raja Muhammad Abbas has said that the government released an amount of Rs 7,000 million for disbursement of compensation through Pakistan/Watan Cards among flood and rain affected people of the province.

He was talking to media persons at village Mianji Gul Mallah a remote village of union council Chuhar Jamali, district Thatta on Thursday.

The Chief Secretary visited the village to handover the keys of 20 newlyconstructed houses built by Marines of Pakistan Navy for flood and rain affected people of the coastal area.

The Commander Coast Rear Admiral Zafar Mehmud Abbasi arranged this ceremony which also attended among other by the Commissioner Hyderabad Ahmed Bux Narejo and Deputy Commissioner Thatta Muhammad Jaffer Abbasi.

The Chief Secretary said that the government is striving hard to rehabilitate all rains and flood affected people of the province.

He informed that Pakistan Navy Marines have developed 252 cemented houses at various locations of the coastal area. He lauded theefforts of Pakistan Navy and said that besides protecting the coastal borders of the country, the Navy serving the people in difficult times. By developing 252 houses for rains and flood affected people of the coastal areas, he said that Pakistan Navy has set an example of servicing community for others.

Replying to a question regarding any dispute between NDMA and Sindh Government on the figure of flood affected people, the Chief Secretary rejected such impression and said that the figures of flood and rain affected people have been validated through third party validation as per international standard.

He appreciated the efforts of NDMA for helping the provincial government by providing rescue, relief and rehabilitation to last year's devastating floods and current year's unprecedented rains and said that NDMA spent huge amount of Rs 7,000 million on flood affected people and shared financial pressure of the Sindh Government.

He said that the disbursement of Rs 40,000 to flood affected people through Pakistan/Watan Cards has been started.

Raja Muhammad Abbas said that assessment of losses of last years flood has been completed and the restoration and rehabilitation of infrastructure of education, road sectors etc has been initiated with the funding of Asian Development Bank and World Bank whereas the damage assessment of current years' unprecedented rains which played havoc in many districts, is at final stage thereafter the work on restoration of infrastructure will be started.

Responding to another question, he dispelled the impression that after dissolution of the district government system, the pace of development is at halt and said that previously the funding was being made to Account-IV which has been ceased and replaced with Account-I as per new Local Government system which has fully been restored and activated and funds have been released to Deputy Commissioners and District Councils as per existing law therefore the impression of stoppage of development process is wrong.

On complaints of lack of medical facilities at Civil Hospital Thatta and construction of inferior quality Thatta Bypass, he asked the Deputy Commissioner Thatta to probe the complaints and submit report to him.

Earlier, the Commander Pakistan Navy Marines Captain Shahid while addressing the ceremony informed that besides protecting coastal borders, Navy have always strived to extend all possible help to residents of coastal belt of the Sindh.

He said that under the initiative to provide cemented shelters to flood affected people of the coastal area, Pak Marines have built 252 houses of which keys to 20 houses constructed at village Mianji Gul Mallah have been handed over today.

He said that Navy rescued 1800 people in previous years' rain while medical assistance to 60,000 people was also provided besides supply of 1600 tons food material to affected people.

He further informed that Navy is working on to extend different trade expertise to people of the coastal area to enhance their life standards, for which the workshops are being conducted regularly. (APP)