The Emergency Relief Cell (ERC) of the Cabinet Division has disbursed Rs 2.59 billion relief assistance in cash and kind to the provinces during 2001-06.
The relief assistance was provided to the provinces and Northern Areas, hit by natural calamities like floods, canal breach, shelling, explosions, earthquake and terrorist attacks, Business Recorder learnt on Saturday.
The Emergency Relief Cell also provided relief assistance in kind to the provinces during the recent monsoon rains and floods. It provided 718 tents, 5,000 blankets and 38.9 metric tonnes of foodstuffs to Punjab.
Similarly, the Emergency Relief Cell provided 2,902 tents, 29,030 blankets, 171 metric tonnes of foodstuffs and 6 metric tonnes of medicines to NWFP and 5.5 metric tonnes of foodstuffs to Balochistan. Major chunk of the relief assistance was provided to the devastating quake survivors of AJK and NWFP in 2005 in cash.
It provided Rs 42 million to the flood victims of Rawalpindi, federal capital and NWFP in 2001, while Rs 31 million was given to the victims of cyclone in Sindh in 2001 and Rs 10 million to the victims of Jellozai Camp in 2001.
The Emergency Relief Cell also disbursed Rs 20 million to the victims of Sindh-Rohri Canal breach in 2002 and Rs 9 million to the affectees of Indian shelling along Line of Control (LoC).
An amount of Rs 1 million was also given to the snowfall victims of Galliat and Rs 1.75 million to explosion affectees of Sumbrial dry port in 2003. It also distributed wheat worth Rs 137 million to the drought-hit areas of Balochistan in 2003 and Rs 49 million to the victims of Quetta Imambargah explosion in 2003.
The Cell also distributed Rs 160 million to the flood victims of Sindh and Balochistan in 2003 and Rs 80 million to the victims of Diamir explosion and earthquake of Northern Areas. An amount of Rs 19 million was also distributed among the victims of terrorist attacks in Sialkot, Multan, and Lahore.
It also distributed Rs 15 million to the flood victims of Shangla, NWFP. It also assisted the quake victims of NWFP and AJK in 2005 for construction of CGI sheets houses by providing Rs 2 billion. The Emergency Relief Cell also provided Rs 8 million to the victims of Margalla Towers and Rs 3.2 million to the affectees of Imam Bargah explosion in Balochistan.