11 UCs in Jacobabad struck off beneficiary list

Around 20,000 people deprived of monetary compensation, govt says Jacobabad city not directly affected by the flood.

JACOBABAD: Residents of at least 11 union councils in Jacobabad district have been removed from the list of flood-hit areas that are eligible for Watan cards.

Eleven union councils from three tehsils of Jacobabad district, including Thul, Ghari Khairo and Jacobabad city, were declared flood-affected and the distribution of Watan cards to residents had started. They included eight union councils (UCs) from Jacobabad city, three from Thul and several villages from different UCs of Ghari Khairo. According to residents, advertisements in newspapers had been published, informing flood survivors where and when to get their Watan cards.

Nadeem Ahmed, a resident of Masoomi neighbourhood in Jacobabad city, used to be a scrap dealer before the floods. When rumours of the floodwater entering the city reached their peak, Nadeem and his family decided to move to Balochistan temporarily. Counting himself as a rightful beneficiary of the Watan card, Ahmed was bitterly disappointed when he found out his name was not included in the list.

“I went to Sukkur and to Shikarpur and now they’re telling us that it can’t be done,” said a dejected Ahmed. “Bohat dhakay khaeye par kuch na ho saka,” he added.

According to the government, because Jacobabad city was not directly affected by the flood, its residents did not deserve the Rs20,000 offered as compensation under the Watan card scheme. Along with 200,000 other people, Ahmed’s family too falls among those people who were just not considered destitute enough for relief and consequently removed from the list.

Akbar Khoso, in-charge at the Watan card camp in Jacobabad, said it is the revenue department’s job to find out who the deserving beneficiaries are. After compiling an assessment report, the department will submit it to the Sindh government. Protests against unfair distribution of Watan cards have become routine but the management is optimistic all problems will be solved soon.

EDO Revenue Munawar Ali Mithani said he has written to the Sindh chief secretary, asking him to include residents of Jacobabad city in the list of beneficiaries. The letter states that although the city was not inundated, almost all its inhabitants had to evacuate. “And the cost of leaving their homes and moving somewhere else means that these people, like those hit by the flood directly, suffered thousands of rupees in losses,” said the EDO. He added that because of the hike in transport prices during that time, these people had to spend a lot of money to just get away from their homes. Therefore, he said, they should be provided their due compensation as well.

He was hopeful that the Sindh government will resolve the problem and add these UCs back to the list.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2010.