PM announces Rs10bn grant for flood-hit Balochistan

Says has 'no doubt' that the 2010 floods were nothing compared to current

QUETTA:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a grant of Rs10 billion for Balochistan flood victims.

The premier made the announcement while talking to the media after visiting Haji Allah Dino village in the Jafarabad district of Balochistan.

He said the army chief as well as the navy were engaged in efforts to help the flood victims and their helicopters were rescuing people.

PM Shehbaz also appealed to the well-off people to rise to the occasion and participate in the relief efforts.

He said Rs25,000 per family would be given to flood-affected families across the country from the allocated grant of Rs38 billion through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) so that the deserving people were not deprived of the assistance package.

The premier noted that the recent spell of rains and floods had claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 people.

He added that crops had been destroyed in a large area.

“Sindh and Balochistan provinces have suffered great destruction,” he observed.

Earlier this week, the PM had announced Rs15 billion for the flood-ravaged province of Sindh during a visit.

He further said the flood-hit areas seemed to be engulfed by sea and the recent torrential rains were worse than those witnessed in 2010.

In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the heavy downpours had led to swollen rivers and water channels in Swat and Kalam, sweeping away hotels and homes within the blink of an eye, he said, adding that hundreds of people lost their lives, crops were damaged while the stagnant water would create problems.

PM Shehbaz said the Turkish president had called him up and expressed solidarity in these tough times.

The premier said two ships would arrive from Turkey carrying relief supplies.

Similarly, a ship from the UAE would arrive later on Sunday. He added that the UK had announced £1.5 million for flood victims.

The prime minister disclosed that a person had handed him Rs60 million last night for the relief efforts.

PM Shehbaz has been visiting flood-hit areas ever since his return from Qatar.

During his visit to Jafarabad district, the premier was accompanied by Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, acting Governor Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali, and Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili.

On his way to Jafarabad, the prime minister also conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Read: PM announces Rs15b grant for Sindh

The Balochistan chief secretary and other officials briefed him on the ongoing efforts to help the flood victims and restore the damaged infrastructure.

The prime minister appreciated Balochistan chief minister and his team for the rescue and relief activities as camps for the flood-hit people were set up and their needs had been catered to.

PM Shehbaz stressed the need for making arrangements of safe drinking water for the victims.  He added that he had already directed the federal energy minister to supervise restoration of suspended power supply in the affected areas.

He further said on Monday (today), they would be holding a meeting in Islamabad to review the situation and make further decisions.

Earlier, the prime minister was given a detailed briefing by the Balochistan chief secretary, who informed that 20 districts in the province were badly affected by the rains and floods including Killa Saifullah and Killa Abdullah.

He added that about 1.3 million people had put up with a difficult situation.

The chief secretary said 65,000 houses were completed destroyed whereas Quetta-Sukkur road link had been cut off because of collapsed bridges. A total of 25 small dams in the province were breached and 78 others had developed cracks, he added.

The official told the premier that 450 solar tube wells were damaged while millions of acres of agriculture land had been affected.

Cash assistance through the BISP was generated besides arrangements were made to provide food to more than one million people, he added.

(With input from APP)