Amid disasters, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is facing an acute financial crisis, as its officials cannot even visit the flood-hit areas without being sponsored by foreign organisations. Sources said the NDMA was not able to bear any expenses except salaries of its employees. When contacted, NDMA Chairman Zafar Iqbal Qadir confirmed that NDMA was lacking financial resources, but had never stopped assisting the affected people in flood-hit areas. “We were facing financial crisis, but on Saturday, the Special Parliamentary Committee formed by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for flood relief and assessing damages approved Rs 1.5 billion for immediate payment of bills of the goods on credit,” he further said. Nevertheless, he declined to comment on the issue of having no finances for NDMA officials’ field visits and its need of foreign sponsors for supporting official trips to the flood-hit areas. Instead, the chairman said a request for more money up to Rs 5 billion to Rs 6 billion would be forwarded to the government so that the phase of relief in the devastated areas could be facilitated. The sources also informed that NDMA had no money at hand for relief and Rs 6-7 billion, which the chairman repeatedly claimed having, had never been in the NDMA’s possession. NDMA spokesman Ahmad Kamal said of the granted Rs 1.5 billion, about Rs 0.5 billion were approved by the prime minister and his organisation would receive it by Monday (today). However, the remaining Rs 1 billion would be paid later.
