Balochistan demands Rs 300 billion for rehabilitation of flood-hit areas.

KARACHI: Balochistan Minister for Agriculture and Cooperative, Mir Asadullah Baloch Sunday appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's announcement of Rs. 10 billion aid for the province, however he demanded to raise the money as the estimated overall loss faced by Balochistan stands around Rs. 300 billion.

Talking to APP, Asadullah Baloch demanded the federal government and donor agencies to come forward and help the provincial government in rehabilitation of flood affectees as out of estimated Rs. 300 billion loss, the agriculture sector alone faced Rs. 150 billion loss.

The provincial minister said that people of Balochistan were hit by worst natural calamity in the history and were looking for the help from federal government, philanthropists and NGOs to mitigate their sufferings as Balochistan was the second worst affected province after Sindh. "The volume of calamity is colossal and we do not have enough resources to fight it, compensate affected population, rehabilitation and restore the damaged infrastructure," he added.

He said that the federal government should take practical steps to assess the damages and provide aid to poor homeless people who were displaced from the flash floods in the province.

Terming the developed world responsible for the climate change, the minister said that the industrial and developed countries should come forward for the help as they are responsible for the climate change and its impacts.

The provincial government was taking measures to identify the losses and damages besides initiating rehabilitation of the people on war footing basis, the minister added. He demanded the federal government to announce subsidy on electricity and gas bills, provision of free yields, acquittal of agricultural loan, provision of tractors on subsidize rates...