Rs 250bn relief package for flood victims likely

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

* Govt plans to give Rs 100,000 each to 2.5 million households

By Sajid Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is finalising a financial relief package for the flood-affected people amounting to over Rs 250 billion, official sources told Daily Times on Thursday.

The government will provide Rs 100,000 each to some 2.5 million households after the completion of the damage-need assessment survey, which will be carried out with help from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

The government will also continue to provide financial assistance equal to $100 per family for the next six months to help them buy food before the next harvests.

At the start of the next Rabbi season, the government would also provide seed and fertiliser to farmers to enable them to plant their crops.

The task of rebuilding and repairing damaged houses in all four provinces would be carried out simultaneously to complete the whole reconstruction phase before the start of winter.

In this regard, a proposal is under consideration to provide Rs 50,000 to each affected family for reconstruction of damaged houses.

The federal government has also decided to divert all budgetary resources for the rehabilitation of the flood-affected people in the country.

The third and most important part of the package would be the reconstruction of infrastructure, including roads, bridges, barrages and public property.