Aid distribution among flood victims questioned
The Senate Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Security was informed on Tuesday that Rs70 billion had been distributed among the flood victims without conducting a new survey. The meeting of the standing committee was held at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Naseebullah Bazai.
In the meeting, aid given to the flood victims by the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the matter of public importance raised by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan in the Senate meeting held on November 12, 2021 regarding the performance of the institution of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, and the closure of funds of Pakistan Baitul Mal in Balochistan province were reviewed in detail.
The meeting was informed in detail about the aid given to the flood victims by the BISP. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced an aid of Rs25,000 per family for the relief of the flood victims. “Rs70 billion was distributed among 2.8 million flood-affected families.”
The BISP provided relief according to the data obtained from NADRA and the relief work was started on September 19, 2022. The committee was informed that 78 districts of the country were affected by the 2022 floods including 34 districts of Balochistan, 19 districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, three of Punjab and 22 of Sindh.
Aid distribution among flood victims questioned
The standing committee was told that 2.41 million flood-affected families of Balochistan, 1.8 million of Sindh, as well as 300,000 each of K-P and Punjab were given assistance but due to lack of funds, countless victims were yet to receive assistance. Officials said of the Rs103 billion budget requested for provision of aid to flood-affected families, only Rs70 billion were provided.
