Karachi:Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in principle, has approved disbursement of compensation among the recent rain affected people of 20 districts, already declared as calamity hit area, but the amount of the compensation would be decided by the cabinet.
He took this decision while presiding over a meeting to assess the losses/damages caused by recent heavy rains in the province here on Monday. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Special Assistant to CM Haris Gazdar, Chairman P and D M. Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal ABro, SMBR Qazi Shahid Parvez, and Adl Secretary Finance.
Briefing the chief minister, SMBR Qazi Shahid Parvez said that the government has already declared 20 districts as calamity hit districts, including Karachi Division: South, West, East, Central, Korangi and Malir. Hyderabad: Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Jamshoro, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari and Dadu. Mirpurkhas Division: Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar districts. Shaheed Benazirabad: Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar districts.
Overall 1752 dehs, 2297108 population, 1499411 acres of standing crops, 291981 households, and 129,2643 houses damaged. The chief minister was given a district-wise presentation on the losses/damages of the 2020 monsoon.
It was pointed out that heavy rains claimed 149 lives, injured 103 persons, and perished 19858 animals, including cows, buffalos, horses, goats, sheep and donkeys.
The chief minister worked losses of worth Rs8 billion and said his government would give compensation to the poor affected people all over Sindh to rehabilitate them. He discussed different rates for different losses and, in principle, approved to disburse the amount but the matter would be placed before the cabinet for final nod.
Ensuring transparency, the chief minister said that the amount would be given to the affected people for the category such as deaths, injured, damaged houses and perished cattle through ATM cards. He directed chief secretary Mumtaz Shah to talk to the Sindh Bank and work out a detailed plan for issuance of the cards at the earliest.
The beneficiaries must have a CNIC card and the cards would be verified from the NDRA before disbursement of the compensation. Meanwhile, he directed the SMBR to verify the list of the affected people, houses, cattle, deaths and injured persons for finalization of the list.
Shah said that when the cash would be transferred for the affected people, they would receive a SMS on the mobile phone.