KARACHI – In an attempt to woo the Centre into releasing promised funds, the Sindh government has again started surveying the flood-hit districts of the province to ascertain the actual number of displaced people.
Well-placed sources told Pakistan Today that with the government already deciding not to provide any more compensation to the flood survivors, this move is merely an eye-wash only to give some false hope to the people of the flood-affected areas, who had lost each and everything in the natural calamity.
The provincial government had started the post-flood rehabilitation process with the distribution of Rs 20,000 to the head of each family having a valid computerised national identity card under the first instalment of Watan Cards. The second part of the disbursement was supposed to be paid by the Centre, which reportedly seems to be changing its stance.
On a visit to Sukkur after floods, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had announced distribution of Rs 80,000 under the Watan Cards scheme (second instalment) among the flood survivors.
For the purpose, the Finance Ministry asked the Sindh government to contribute 50 percent of the amount. However, the province’s financial experts immediately rushed to Islamabad and held a meeting with the ministry officials, refusing to contribute even a single paisa. The federal government then decided to place the issue before the Council of Common Interests but no steps were further taken.
Later, the Centre decided to provide variable amounts ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 80,000 to the flood survivors of the districts severely affected by the flood, and directed the provincial authorities to resurvey the flood-ravaged districts in Sindh.
The sources said that according to estimates, the whole process for compensation under the second instalment of the Watan Cards to more than 1.8 million families badly-affected by the worst-ever floods requires at least Rs 150 billion but the cash-strapped Sindh government has no funds available.
