PM assures early rehabilitation of flood-hit people

       
DADU, Nov 19, (APP):  Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday announced Rs 200 million grant for development projects and rehabilitation of the flood hit people for the constituencies of two members of the National Assembly in Dadu district.He announced this while addressing  a mass wedding ceremony of eight couples belonging to the flood affected areas.He said that besides the Rs 200 million grant, the government planned to provide maximum incentives to flood victims  to enable them meet  their needs.
He reiterated that the government had formulated a uniform policy to provide  compensation for the losses sustained by the people  and each flood affected family, including those who might have suffered lesser losses, would be given Rs 1,00,000 through Watan Cards.
The Prime Minister  earlier had an aerial view of the flood affected areas of Dadu district. 
He expressed his concern over the devastation caused by the flood and directed the departments to waive off the utility bills of those areas.
He also directed them to conduct survey of the areas which were not covered earlier so that their utility bills  could also be waived off.
Referring to a demand made by  the Chief Minister of Sindh  about writing off  the agriculture loans in the flood ravaged areas of the province, the Prime Minister assured him this would be considered.
The prime minister said that the government was providing seeds and fertilizers free of cost to the flood hit growers to help them cultivate crops.
At the request of Sindh Chief Minister, the Prime Minister assured to consider additional supply of irrigation water to Sindh province.
Gilani said that the unprecedented floods were devastating however, the government was taking appropriate for early rehabilitation of the people.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani assured Sindh Chief Minister that the Federal Government would provide maximum money for  disbursement of the remaining Rs 80,000 amount to be paid to the Watan Card holders. “I advise you to pay more attention in dealing with financial issues of your province,” he said  .
Responding to the complaints of the elected representatives of the right bank areas of Sindh and the affected people about problems being faced in issuance of the Watan Cards, the prime minister ordered Chairman NADRA, who was also present on the occasion, to expedite the process and  remove the difficulties that   might be obstructing the work.
He also directed   the CNIC be provided to the people who had not received them as yet so that they can get  Watan Cards.
The prime minister  urged the parliamentarians, leaders, workers and affiliated wings of the PPP residing in the right bank districts of the province to    prepare a plan for development of their areas and then discuss it with him for approval.
While appreciating the people of Dadu for their contribution and sacrifices, struggle for democracy under the leadership of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, the prime minister said that he had great respect for the people of the area and assured them that all  efforts would be made for their rehabilitation.
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani ordered the  authorities to raise the capacity of  Dadu Canal  to provide more water for irrigation  in the area.
About development of Gorakh Hill Station, he asked the authorities to carry out a detailed survey and  the expenses required for the purpose would be provided by the federal government . 
He also directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to carry out the reconstruction work of Old Dadu Bypass and City Road as the demand for the projects had been made time and again by local people as well as their elected representatives.
The Prime Minister highly praised the Turkish Prime Minister, First Lady and the people of Turkey for providing valueable aid during the flood relief operations.
He said that the people of Pakistan and Turkey have  brotherly relations since Khilafat Movement during which Muslims of the sub-continent provided support to the Ottoman Empire.
He said”now the people of Turkey and their government   were now reciprocating the sentiments  and extended full help to the people of Pakistan”.
The ceremony was also addressed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, State Minister Rafiq Ahmed, Senior Sindh Minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq and MNA Talat Mahesar.
Earlier, during a visit to a relief camp at Ustad Bukhari Degree College where 350 flood survivor families consisting of about 2,000 persons were living in over 250 tents, the prime minister exchanged Eid greetings with them and also distributed Eid gifts among them.
He also took an aerial view of the inundated and affected areas of Khairpur Nathan Shah district to witness the situation.
While addressing the collective wedding ceremony of flood affected couples here the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that the provincial government would not have been able to clear  water from the inundated areas without strong support of the  Federal Government.
“Bearing the brunt in such areas are mostly the small growers whose fields are full of stagnant water,” he said and added  if  water was not pumped out in time it would make it impossible to cultivate next Rabi and Kharif crops .
“We want sowing of both the crops in the next year, but for this efforts on war-footing were required,” he said.
Qaim Ali Shah maintained that the process of issuing Watan Cards in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab was completed more smoothly in comparison with Sindh, where around 7 million people were affected by the recent floods.  While expressing hope for an earlier announcement for payment of the remaining installments of Rs80,000 through the Watan Cards, the chief minister stated that Rs 20,000, paid as the first installment, were in no way adequate for the colossal losses suffered by each  affected family.
“I understand financial crisis being faced by  the federal government, however, needs of the survivors are also very critical for us,” he added.
He thanked the prime minister for providing free fertilizer and seeds to the  growers  and said for agricultural inputs release of fresh water for irrigation was essential  for cultivation.
Shah appealed to the prime minister to waive off the agricultural loans of the growers who had suffered from the catastrophic floods.
Earlier, State Minister for Food and Agriculture Rafique Ahmed Jamali and MNA Talat Mahesar also spoke and apprised the prime minister of the problems being faced by the people and called  for solving them.