ISLAMABAD: The government has disbursed Rs911 million, ex-gratia to the family members of those who have lost their lives in the floods in four provinces as well as in ICT, AJK, and GB.

Sources said that relief funds were distributed through Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) among people of flood-affected areas in the light of directives from the Prime Minister.

The NDMA is providing ex-gratia assistance of one million (Rs1 million) each for next of kin/legal heirs of the deceased through relevant PDMAs/SDMA/GBDMA. In this regard, Rs911 million have been disbursed as ex-gratia payment by NDMA in AJK, Balochistan, GB, ICT, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh.

The government has disbursed Rs44 million in AJK, Rs187 million to the heirs of deceased persons, Rs22 million in Gilgit Baltistan, Rs1 million in ICT, Rs210 million in KP, Rs115 million in Punjab, and Rs332 million in Sindh.

On the directions of the Prime Minister flood relief coordination committee, the NDMA has disbursed an amount of Rs250 million to the government of Balochistan through the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Balochistan for arranging machinery and other de-watering equipment required for clearance of submerged cultivable lands in Balochistan.

The Finance Division allocated Rs18 billion for the NDMA to provide relief to flood affectees and approximately Rs10.8 billion has been spent on procurement of non-food items (i.e. tents, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, blankets, etc) and food packs.

About Rs500 million has been spent on logistics of relief goods to affected areas. The cost of logistics inland transportation will substantially increase to clear the liabilities by the NDMA on this account, the sources added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023