News
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Donors moot after damage and need assessment: Kaira* Information minister says process of distribution of cash among flood victims to be completed within 45 days
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira said that a United Nations meeting would be held on September 19 to launch a fresh appeal for foreign aid. He added that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would represent the country in the meeting.
The minister said donors conference would be convened after the completion of damage and need assessment (DNA) process.
Kaira said on Wednesday that the process of distribution of Rs 20,000 as first tranche of cash assistance amongst the flood victims would be completed within 45 days.
While addressing reporters about relief and rehabilitation operation in the flood-hit areas, he said that the process of distribution of cash had started in Punjab and Sindh and so far 7,500 families had been paid the said amount.
He said that the list of calamity-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is due to be received on September 18, while Balochistan had provided a partial list of calamity-hit areas and the process of distribution of cash would start in the two provinces very soon.
He said that on Wednesday two more centres for distribution of cash amongst the flood victims had started working - one in Sindh and one in Punjab. He regretted that his statement about distribution of cash amongst the flood-affected people was spinned by a section of press.
He said that it was not humanly possible to complete the process within such a short span of time before Eid.
Kaira urged the media to highlight the heroic acts of local people who endangered their own lives to save others. About the road network situation in flood-affected areas, the minister said the National Highway Authority (NHA) is working day and night and more roads had been opened for traffic. He said that some sections of Indus Highway and Sukkur-Jacobabad section of Sukkur-Quetta Highway had been opened for traffic.
To a query about the talk of martial law by some people, he said that revolution and anarchy were two different things, but unfortunately some media houses seemed not to differentiate between the two.
He said the UN had earlier launched an appeal of $460 million out which $300 million had been received by it.
He added that the UN had been requested to extend food support programme for six month as earlier it had been fixed for three months. He added that presently the UN was working in four sectors: food support, health, shelter and water sanitation.
To a question, he said it was not possible for the federal government to form the oversight commission without taking provinces on board as it would have been against the spirit of 18th Amendment and the NFC Award.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk