KARACHI – Flood survivors of at least seven flood-ravaged districts of Sindh are likely to be compensated by the federal government for their losses suffered during last year’s devastating floods, but only after a thorough survey of actual losses has been completed.
Well-placed sources told Pakistan Today that the decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting held in the federal capital recently, so that the flood-affected families could be provided with some financial assistance.
In this regard, the Sindh Revenue Department has almost completed the survey to ascertain the damages caused by the floods in Thatta district, while the assessment in Dadu district is underway. Later, the survey would be initiated in the remaining five districts of Shikarpur, Jamshoro, Jacobabad, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Kahsmore. The revenue officials in these districts have been instructed to prepare lists of partially- and completely-damaged houses.
After the survey, these lists along with the necessary documentation regarding the ownership of the damaged houses would be forwarded to the federal government, so that the compensation amount ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 could be disbursed among the affected families.
The provincial government had initially started the post-flood rehabilitation process with disbursement of Rs 20,000 as the first instalment of Watan Cards to the head of each flood-affected family having a valid computerised national identity card. The second instalment of the disbursement was supposed to be paid by the centre, which was reportedly shying away from its earlier stance.
Sindh Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Haji Muzzaffar Shajra told Pakistan Today that after the assessment surveys the owners of fully- or partially-damaged houses would be provided with compensation as per the extent of the damage caused to the buildings.
The Sindh government had asked the federal government to pay the compensation to the flood survivors of the province as per its earlier commitment, however, the centre would take the final decision after the completion of the ongoing survey, the minister added.
