News
Sunday, September 05, 2010
CCI to distribute flood aid among provinces: PM* Gilani tells National Assembly APC will be convened to discuss post-flood situation
* Losses due to floods between Rs 350 to Rs 500 billion
* Rs 40 billion to be used for providing Rs 20,000 to each affected family
* 80 percent of total foreign assistance worth $1.03 billion to be spent
through NGOsStaff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday told lawmakers in the National Assembly that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) would decide the issue of distribution of flood relief funds among the provinces.
In his policy statement in he National Assembly during a discussion on the flood situation, the PM said that the CCI meeting would develop consensus among federating units over the strategy to distribute relief funds.
Gilani said that so far, no funds had been transferred to any province from the PM’s Relief Fund, which had received donations worth Rs 4 billion.
He further said that the government would also convene an all-parties conference (APC) soon to discuss the flood devastation and the subsequent relief and rehabilitation efforts. He said an international donors conference would also be held to get more funds for reconstruction efforts in the flood-affected areas.
Referring to the concerns being raised by the international community over transparency in the utilisation of flood aid, the PM said that the National Oversight Disaster Management Council had been established to ensure “transparent and equal” distribution of funds.
The PM told the MNAs that 79 districts – 24 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12 in Punjab, 19 in Sindh, seven each in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir – had been affected by the floods.
“The floods have caused losses worth Rs 350 billion to Rs 500 billion,” he said.
He said that out of the total $1.03 billion assistance that had been pledged so far, 80 percent would be spent through non-government organisations.
He said Rs 40 billion had been allocated for providing Rs 20,000 to each affected family, while Rs 12,000 each would be provided to flood victims under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for three months.
The PM said the Diamer-Bhasha Dam would be constructed on a priority basis.
Gilani announced that he would spend the Eid day with the flood-affected people and not in Islamabad.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk