‘Financial aid for calamity victims enhanced’

LAHORE

Amount of financial assistance for the victims of natural calamities has been enhanced. Satellite tracker system is being installed on the boats of PDMA to operate during the flood situation. As many as 20 control rooms have also been established in different districts to operate the satellite tracker system in an efficient manner. 

This was told during a meeting presided over by Chairman Cabinet Committee on Flood Malik Nadeem Kamran on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Secretary Irrigation, Chief Meteorologist and representatives of Health, Police, Rescue, Wasa and other departments. Malik Nadeem Kamran told the meeting that the government has decided to enhance the compensatory amount for the heirs of deceased persons from Rs 500,000 to Rs 600,000. The compensatory amount for the persons who become disabled has also been enhanced from Rs 100,000 to Rs 300,000. Similarly, those who receive serious injuries will be paid Rs one lakh.

Those who receive minor injury and are hospitalized for five days will get 50 lakh rupees while a sum of Rs 25 thousand will be paid to such persons who receive minor injury and are discharged from the hospital after first aid.

The sum paid for the totally destroyed houses has been increased from Rs 80 thousand to one lakh. After the approval of enhanced compensatory amount by the cabinet committee on flood a summary has been referred to the CM for the final approval.

The meeting was informed that special training would be imparted to staff of Rescue 1122 so that they could operate the satellite tracking system of boats efficiently. He said that the said tracker devices would also be helpful to know about the exact number of rescued persons during flood.

The meeting approved Rs five lakh as financial assistance for the family of a Rescue 1122 staffer who died during duty when electricity wires fall on rescue vehicle. The meeting was also told that as many as 12 dewatering sets have also been handed over to Multan district administration.

Malik Nadeem Kamran said that all the DCOs must submit the reports regarding projects which could permanently stop the floods in the relevant districts by September 20. He said the CM would be briefed about these projects and after his approval the work on the said projects would be started. He said it is better to channelize the courses of flooding water by comprehensive projects instead of spending millions of rupees on relief activities every year.

The chief meteorologist told the meeting that Suleman Range can receive heavy rains on August 27 and 28 which can create flood situation in the hill torrents of Chachar and Kaha in Rajanpur district.