News
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
‘Probe ordered into delay in distribution of relief goods’* Sindh law minister assures government will share details of relief efforts and problems of internally displaced persons with provincial assembly today
Staff Report
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has taken serious notice of delay in distributing relief goods stored in government godowns to flood affectees and ordered Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to investigate the issue.
Provincial Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro stated this on the floor of the Sindh Assembly (SA) after receiving complaints from various lawmakers and opposition benches.
Replying to a point of order raised by the opposition benches alleging the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government on its alleged failure over not taking care of flood affectees who are still staying in relief camps in the worst conditions, the law minister assured the House that the government will share the details of relief efforts and problems of internally displaced persons (IDPs) today (Tuesday).
From the opposition benches, Pakistan Muslaim League-Functional (PML-F) lawmaker Nusrat Sehar Abbasi indicated that IDPs were deprived of food, warm cloths and medical facilities in relief camps in different areas of the province.
Abbasi said Kingri Tehsil of Khairpur district, where relief goods worth millions of rupees were dumped in godowns have been damaged and trashed in a water canal.
In the same manner, the IDPs staying in Keamari and at the outskirts of Karachi are also in a difficult situation as they lack basic facilities, while their children are dying due to the cold weather, but government has not noticed such miseries, she remarked.
Soomro, while replying to the issues raised by the PML-F lawmaker, agreed that the IDPs were still living in relief camps and deprived of food and other basic facilities and the reason for dumping relief goods in godowns was that trucks carrying relief goods to IDPs were being hijacked by people when they were on their way.
After question-hour, the chairperson asked the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members to take up their adjournment motion, which they had submitted against the recent hike in petroleum prices. MQM lawmakers did not press for taking up their adjournment motion, saying that the petroleum prices have been reversed so they do not need to do that. Soomro said that he talked with MQM parliamentary leader Sardar Ahmed, who also assured him that MQM members would not press for their adjournment motion. Later, the chairperson disposed of the adjournment motion of MQM members.
However, report of the Auditor General of Pakistan on the accounts of Sindh government for 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09, provincial audit report for 2009-10 and audit report on public sector enterprises of the Sindh govt for years 2006-07, 2007-08, 2009-09 and 2009-10 were presented in the House.
Two ordinances, including Sindh Public Property (removal of encroachment) Amendment Ordinance 2010 and Sindh Zakat and Ushr Ordinance 2010, were also laid before the house.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk