Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah approves Rs700m grant for rain-hit victims

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved Rs700 million grant for relief and rehabilitation works being carried out in the rain-affected areas of the province.

The Sindh chief minister also issued directives to the concerned authorities to assure provision of food, mosquito nets, tents and distribution of fodder for the cattle of the rain-hit areas. He has sanctioned the grant in a meeting chaired by him on Friday to review the relief work being carried out in the rain-affected districts of Sindh.

The meeting was attended by Adviser on Law Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Relief Commissioner Qazi Shahid Parvez, Principal Secretary to the CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Sohail Rajput, Administrator KMC Iftikhar Shallwani, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqi and other concerned officials.

The chief minister said he along with the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had visited rain-affected districts in Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Tharparkar, Sanghar and Badin, and found that the people have been facing severe problems that should immediately be addressed. “We have tried to provide relief to the rain-affected people but it was not enough,” he said, adding that the people in rural Sindh were demanding fodder and mosquito nets for them and their cattle.

After reviewing the relief work, the CM directed Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi to immediately release Rs700 million grant, asking the continuation of relief and rehabilitation works for the rain-hit victims, but putting issuance of grant on the disposal of the SMBR and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). The SMBR told the chief minister that his department and PDMA would provide all out support to the rain-affected people but provision of fodder was the job of Sindh Livestock Department.