Daniyal Aziz, former chairman of National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) and leader of PML-Q has said that present government has failed to evolve a foolproof mechanism for distribution of relief goods among the flood-affected people, exposing lack of co-ordination between National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), district administrators' offices and relief agencies.
Talking to this correspondent on phone on Monday, he said there are thousands of people, especially in the remote areas and villages, who are still deprived of relief assistance, as they are inaccessible. On the other hand, residents of most of the affected districts and those who succeeded to reach the safest places have got plenty of food and relief goods.
Aziz revealed that many affected people have complained to the media that the goods provided by the government for them have been dumped in stores by District Co-ordination Officers (DCOs) and administrators for unknown reasons and thus the needy people are foodless and penniless in these difficult times.
Owing to the failure in devising a proper mechanism and establishing co-ordination between the food distributing bodies, relief items are being received by certain groups who are selling the stamped food in open market, he maintained. Former chairman NRB advised the government to form committees comprising local representatives, who could provide data of local residents for relief goods' distribution. "Only the local people's involvement in relief activities can ensure transparency," asserted Aziz.
He added that the way government is providing relief to the calamity-stricken masses, passing it through district administration comprising DCO, DPO, Tehsildar and Patwari, is full of flaws. "Unfortunately, these are the authorities that have lost credibility among the general masses," he said, adding, "one cannot expect any sort of virtue from these corrupt people. He called on Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment (DTCE) to evolve a strategy that seems more applicable, and may ensure transparency in the distribution of relief items.
When contacted, a spokesman of DTCE said, "We have formed committees comprising Local Council Associations (LCAs), a body comprising former local government representatives at union, town, tehsil and district council levels, civil society organisations, Citizen Community Boards and district press and bar associations under the umbrella of 'Jeevay Pakistan Jeevay Maqami Hakoomat' for monitoring of funds' utilisation and food distribution.
He said these committees would prepare a list of people, who are in dire need of help and yet to receive any relief. He disclosed that DTCE, in its first phase of relief activities, is going to distribute worth of $400,000 food items and relief goods among the affected people. He invited the media to monitor DTCE's food distribution and funds utilisation strategy and suggest ways to improve it.