Watan cards for Balochistan victims in a week

Govt providing Rs17 billion subsidy to farmers to boost the country's agricultural output, NA told.


Express November 06, 2010

Flood survivors in Balochistan will get Watan cards within a week and efforts are being made to make the distribution of flood aid transparent, State Minister on Interior Tasneem Ahmad Qureshi said on Friday.

In response to points of order raised by parliamentarians during the ongoing session of the National Assembly, he said corruption in Watan card distribution is being reviewed, adding that the cards are being distributed on the basis of lists compiled by provincial governments and after proper verification by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). Rejecting allegations of corruption, he said: "The lists of victims are provided by the provinces and there is no other way to nominate a flood victim.”

Parliamentarians who had pointed out irregularities committed by bank employees in Watan card distribution, included Muhammad Asad, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan and Nighat Perveen.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Food and Agriculture Nawab Liaqat Ali Khan informed the National Assembly that the government was providing Rs17 billion subsidy on fertilisers to farmers to boost the country's agricultural output.

In response to questions raised by parliamentarians, he said the government had launched various programmes, including Benazir Bhutto Green Tractor scheme, to provide maximum facilities to the farmers.

The lower house of parliament passed a bill to implement the International Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States. It may be called the Arbitration (International Investment Disputes) Act of 2010. It shall be deemed to have taken effect on and from March 26, 2010.

MNA Tariq Khattak moved two privilege motions: one over a breach of his privilege against MD Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and another MD Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) “because of their non-cooperative behavior”.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto on Friday told the National Assembly that health budget is less than one per cent of the country’s total GDP, adding that health ministry is being devolved after the 18th Amendment. Replying a supplementary question, she said that now health was a provincial subject and provinces should increase their respective health budgets.

Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza and Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi also greeted Hindu members of the National Assembly and the Hindu community on Diwali.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2010.

COMMENTS (1)

shahid umrani | 13 years ago | Reply i appeal to the federal government that please distribute watan card as soon as possible,peoples are helpless because their assets are destroyed and now they are looking for some government help to reconstruct their houses and to go back their places. .
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