Plan for rehabilitation of flood-hit areas to be prepared by July 15: Dar
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Unprecedented floods inflicted loss of over $30billion on country: Dar
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday announced that a master plan for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the flood-hit areas will be prepared by the 15th of the next month.
Speaking at the National Assembly, Dar said the decision to this effect was taken at recent meetings with the senior leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other coalition partners. He said work on the master plan will be started by the Planning Ministry soon after the passage of the budget.
The finance minister said that unprecedented floods inflicted a loss of over $30billion on the country, and $16.3billion will be required for the completion of the construction and rehabilitation work in the next four to five years.
He further made it clear that $11billion of the $16.3 billion will be spent on the flood-hit areas of Sindh, while the rest will be made available for Balochistan and Southern Punjab.
He said international donors had pledged over $8billion to help the flood-hit people of the country. He said it had been decided that reconstruction projects worth $8.1billion will be funded by the country with a fifty-fifty percent share from the federal and provincial governments.
Giving details of the mega projects to be executed in the flood-affected areas, the finance czar said the Sindh government had started a flood emergency housing project.
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He went on to say a funding of Rs50billion will be required for this project during the next fiscal year. He made it clear that fifty per cent of the funds will be contributed by the federal government.
He said an investment of Rs46billion is required for the KB feeder of K-4 and an extension of Keenjhar Lake.
Dar said that an amount of Rs6billion will be required for this project during the next fiscal year. He said both the federal and the Sindh governments will make a contribution of three billion rupees each.
The finance minister said the Sindh government also had a plan to reconstruct 1800 schools affected by the heavy rains and floods last year at a cost of Rs11.9billion.
He said Rs4billion are required for this project during the next financial year.
