PESHAWAR: Owing to lack of resources, the provincial government has decided to consult the federal government for the provision of financial resources as it fears the impossibility of providing Rs20,000 compensation to the flood affectees before Eid.
Sources told the Statesman that the government was confronted with severe financial constraints to provide compensation to the victims in the wake of which the high-ups of the government have decided to approach the Centre.
They further told that due to the short shrift from the federal government to the demand of resources provision to provincial authorities has forced it to again approach the central government for the purpose.
Affectees still awaiting relief: The flood victims have shown distrust over the government departments in terms of flood relief operation and raised questions about the ability of the government to reach to the flood-hit people.
Sources in Provincial Disaster Management told the Statesman that the teams have not reached so far to the inaccessible areas of Kohistan, Shangla and Dir and admitted that the government has failed to provide relief to the majority of flood victims.
“I heard on the radio that the government would give Rs20,000 to each family. We received nothing. All this aid money we hear about.
The government stole it,” said Aslam Khan, an affectee from Charsadda on Motorway, as he stared at the Kabul River, which ruined his home and hundreds of others nearby.
The affected people further said that due to the non-provision of compensation they have decided to start reconstruction of their houses on self-help basis.
They further said that lack of solid relief strategy was exacerbating their woes adding that there was no steps in sight on the part of government to rectify the miserable situation.
It merits a mention here that the government has diverted developmental fund of more than Rs5 billion to provide compensation to the affectees before Eid.
Anger has been rising among the flood-hit people over the government’s handling of the catastrophe and it’s likely to get worse as flood victims demand compensation for destroyed houses, crops and livestock – Statesman
