Handout

federal minister for privatisation Mr. waqar ahmed khan sends cheque of rs.50 lac to c.m sindh syed qaim ali shah

Karachi: September 20:  Federal Secretary for Privatization Mr. Shoaib Anwar Khawaja today called on Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah at C.M House and presented cheque amounting to Rs.50 lac on behalf of Federal Minister for privatization Mr. Waqar Ahmed Khan for “Sindh Flood Relief Fund”.

            Chief Minister Sindh thanked the Federal Minister for Privatization Mr. Waqar Ahmed Khan for generous donation/contribution for relief of flood affected people.

HANDOUT NO…(ABM)

Date:  17.09.2010                            Handout 

 Consel General of iran abbas ali abdollahi calls on chief minister sindh syed qaim ali shah at c.m house.

Karachi: September 17:  Newly appointed Consul General of Islamic Republic of Iran Mr. Abbas Ali Abdhollahi at Karachi today called on Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah at Chief Minister House.

               Chief Minister Sindh welcomed the Iranian Consul General at C.M House and apprised him about working and progress and provincial government. Syed Qaim Ali Shah also apprised the Consul General about damages caused by recent floods.

              Mr. Abbas Ali Abdhollahi expressed sorrows on heavy losses in Sindh Province and said that Iran has supplied relief goods by cargo planes while relief goods have also been sent in four 04 trucks by road.

             Iranian Consul General added that Iranian government has arranged ware houses at two places in Sindh at Karachi and Shaheed Benazirabad where stock of relief goods will be kept and from there the same will be dispatched in flood affected areas. He further informed that the Iranian Government has made international aid worth $100 million for relief and rehabilitation of flood affected areas while one Iranian medical team is working for treatment of ailing people at Thatta while the other Medical team has reached today at Jamshoro where it will provide treatment facilities to needy patients in flood relief camps.

            He further informed that 1000 tents have also been provided by Iranian government, out of which 500-tents have been sent to Thatta while the remaining have been supplied in Karachi. He also presented cheques of Rs. 5 lacs on behalf of Consul General of Iran.

             Chief Minister Sindh appreciated the gesture of cooperation and assistance by Iranian government for relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people. He also presented Cultural gifts of Sindh i-e Khais, Ajrak and Sindhi Cap to Consul General and first Consul Syed Yakoob Syed Haji Jawadi.

               Earlier, on his arrival, the Consul General was warmly welcomed by Chief Minister Sindh, Advisor to C.M Mr. Rashid Rabbani, Special Assistant to C.M Waqar Mehdi and others.

 HANDOUT NO…(ABM)

Date:  14.09.2010                             

chief minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali shah preside meeting regarding sindh flood damages and recovery plan. 

Karachi: September 14:  Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah today presided a high-level meeting regarding Sindh flood damages and recovery plan held at Chief Minister House. 

            The meeting was attended by Advisor to C.M for Planning & Development Mr. Qaisar Bengali, Chief Secretary Sindh Mr. Kamran Lashari, Additional Chief Secretary (P&D) Mr. Muhammad Siddique Memon, Secretary to C.M Sindh Mr. Abdul Kabeer Kazi, Secretary Agriculture Agha Jan Akhtar, Secretary Education Mr. Alamuddin Bhullo, Secretary Finance Mr. Fazalullah Pechuho, Special Secretary Finance MS. Naheed Shah Durrani and others. 

            Chief Minister Sindh said that the people of Sindh are facing destructions of severe floods and there are huge losses and damages of houses, agriculture, livestock, irrigation channels, roads, bridges and culverts etc. He said that important decisions were taken in the meeting of council of common interest, and disbursement of Rs. 20,000/- for each affected family of Sindh has been initiated from Thatta district where wattan cards were distributed which bears photographs of flood affected persons embossed as such no other person can use the wattan card. He said that keeping in view the situation, announcement made by the Prime Minister and directives issued by the President of Pakistan, priorities are to be fixed for improvement of conditions and rehabilitation of affected people. 

            Syed Qaim Ali Shah informed that Sindh Government has so-far disbursed Rs.2 billion in all affected districts for the relief, food and medical treatment of flood affected persons, while utmost efforts will be made for prompt measures for redressal, rehabilitation and recovery of all affected families.

            Advisor to C.M for Planning & Development Mr. Qaisar Bengali apprised the meeting that Sindh has been severely affected by the floods, and such large scale dislocation of population is not known in the history of Sindh. He added that socio-economic infrastructure in 8 districts (minus Thatta and Dadu) has been severely damaged where as over 7 million people have been dislocated and over 7500 villages & over 40 towns are submerged. He added that over 2.2 million acres of cropland is under water while 179 people have died and over 700 are injured.

            He said that according to estimates (minus Thatta and Dadu), there are about damages of Rs.446.8 billion in Sindh province which include damage of Rs.122.1 billion for agriculture crops, Rs.11.4 billion for livestock, Rs.52.0 billion for irrigation, Rs.37.5 billion for roads, Rs. 134.3 billion for housing, Rs.2.6 billion for 100 units of Health department, Rs.26.9 billion for 4602 units of Education Department, Rs.40.00 billion for 38 towns under municipal infrastructure and Rs.10.0 billion under government buildings. He added that relief camps have been established in 2250 schools of education department. 

            Mr. Qaisar Bengali said that government of Sindh under Post Flood Relief Management will arrange food, sanitary supplies, tent schools and healthcare services to flood affectees for at least a period of 3 to 6 months which will be about one third population of affectees. He added that returning population of upto 1.5 million would also need to be provided dry food ration for at least one month. He also gave details of other requirements which include building material at affordable costs, disbursement of highly subsidized credit at zero interest rate in severely affected districts for starting agriculture activities. He also highlighted proposed Sindh flood impact recovery plan and said that some water purification machines have been installed and 100 plants have been ordered while Australia and some other countries have assured to provide such plants.             

 Mr. Bengali added that under Agriculture Marketing, grain storages, cold storages and modern agricultural markets have been proposed, which under agro-based manufacturing, rice value added products, milk plants, value added milk products, fish processing, canning and private sector managed industrial estate in economically strategic locations will be established. He added that in addition to already provided equipments, 800 pumps, 40 bulldozers & Tractors etc will be needed to be procured through PDMA while 50 bulldozers of agriculture department are already working. 

            The meeting also discussed the ways and means of construction of houses for affected people. Various other related issues were also discussed in the meeting.

HANDOUT NO…(ABM)