ISLAMABAD – Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights has expressed serious concerns on presentation of the Sindh government on funds distributed among victims of drought in Thar.
The committee has recommended to call the chief secretary of Sindh government to present a detailed briefing on the issue. The committee, held here under the chairmanship of Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari the other day, was briefed that Finance Department had released sufficient funds from Financial Year 2013-14 to 2015-16 to provide relief to the affectees of drought.
Sindh Finance Department Secretary apprised that Rs 4193.905 million were allocated in these three years for distribution of 100 kgs wheat bags free of cost among the victims, Rs 294.870 million for transportation of wheat and other miscellaneous expenses in the respective years, Rs 1,768.500 million for relief and rehabilitation activities, Rs 2,010,881 million for health and hygiene facilities in district Tharparkar, Rs 1,953.131 million for health and hygiene facilities for district Umerkot and Rs 10,273.267 million for livestock and fisheries department in the said three years.
The chairman of the committee expressed his dismay on the briefing given by the representative of Sindh administration on utilisation of funds and raised the point that if 4.1 billion is spent on total population of 1.3 million of the area, it results as 2.5 100 kg (2.5 Monn) wheat provided to each person so how hunger or drought situation can exist in such situation.
The committee also recommended to ask the company appointed for reverse osmosis for provision of water in Thar as it was supposed to install 700 plants for water purification but installed only 432 among which few are faulty and out of order while few other are unaccessible for the natives to reach.
