Sindh Cabinet approves Rs50b for construction of damaged houses in recent floods.

KARACHI -- The Sindh cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief MinisAter Syed Murad Ali Shah approved Rs50 billion for the construction of damaged houses for flood-affected people.

'Each and every owner of the damAaged house would be given Rs 50,000 to start construction, and when the construction would reach the plinth level the remaining amount of Rs250,000 would be transferred to his bank account to complete the conAstruction,' the CM decided in consulAtation with the cabinet members.

This was disclosed by Minister Information Sharjeel Inam Memon while addressing a press conferAence at Sindh Archives Building on Wednesday. It may be noted that the meeting was held at CM House and was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, chief secAretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P and D Hassan Naqvi, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, and other concerned secretaries.

Sharjeel Memon shared the decisions taken by the cabinet. CM Advisor on Agriculture Manzoor Wassan apprised the cabinet that 3.6 million acres of standing crops had been damaged in the recent floods and the farmers had suffered losses worth Rs 421 billion. Wassan said that it was agreed to begin with the provision of free wheat seed for which Rs.13.5 billion were required. He added that the Sindh govt provided Rs8.39 billion while the federal govt was contributing Rs4.7 billion.

Talking about the mechanism to reAimburse the funds of Rs5000 per acre, Wassan said that Taluka and district committees were formed. A Provincial Committee is established at DG, AgriAculture Extension.

The review meeting of flood reAsponse chaired by Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari a committee comprising the CM Advisor for AgAriculture, Minister Information, and Minister for Local Govt was formed.

The committee held a preliminary meeting on November 15 and was of the view that in order to expedite the processes, an additional layer of the committee may be incorporated at Tappa level where, Tapedars, Field AsAsistants of Agriculture,

Members of District Council and Notables may be added who would help in data collection. The cabinet diArected the agriculture dept to collect the data at the earliest so that funds could be provided to the growers.

The cabinet approved...