PHOTO: REUTERS
As it prepares to repatriate families displaced by the ongoing military operations in the tribal areas, the military has asked for more funds for the process since the estimated cost of rehabilitation and reconstruction is expected to cross the Rs75 billion mark.
The military’s second-tier leadership discussed financial requirements for the repatriation and rehabilitation of temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday.
Vice Chief of General Staff Maj-Gen Umar Farooq Durrani and Director General Military Budget Maj-Gen Tauqeer Ahmed, while asking for disbursement of funds, informed Dar that the cost of rehabilitation and reconstruction would exceed initial estimates of Rs75 billion, officials privy to their discussions told The Express Tribune. “The estimation process [for the cost of TDPs rehabilitation] was evolving. Conservative estimates suggest the overall cost may go up to Rs80 billion,” a finance ministry official said.
According to an earlier assessment, conducted jointly by civil-military teams and shared with international donors, the government needed Rs75.3 billion for rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. The estimate included Rs12.5 billion for cash disbursement among TDPs, Rs15 billion for compensation against damaged private property, Rs11.5 billion for rehabilitation, Rs30 billion for reconstruction, Rs5 billion for restoring basic services and Rs1.4 billion for transporting the affected tribespeople.
Generals Durrani and Ahmed also demanded roughly Rs7 billion on an ‘immediate basis’, over and above the Rs1.5 billion released by the finance ministry a day earlier, to facilitate the TDPs’ return, the officials added. A course of action for the release of future installments was also discussed in the meeting.
“Both sides agreed that work regarding rehabilitation and reconstruction should be undertaken with full vigour and the restoration of health and educational facilities should be extended due priority,” said a terse statement issued by the finance ministry after the meeting.
The finance minister, while saying that “a clear picture of financial requirements had been shared with donors,” directed the Economic Affairs Division to sensitise the donors afresh regarding their commitments for TDPs, the statement said. It added that both sides also reached consensus on the “speedy restoration of electricity supply to affected areas.”
Wednesday’s meeting came as a follow-up to Dar’s talks with army chief General Raheel Sharif at the General Headquarters (GHQ) two weeks ago. Although military budget meetings are usually held at the finance secretary-level, sources say the finance minister is taking a personal interest in the matter this time around.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2015.
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