NA body informed Rs6-7bn needed to reconstruct #Chitral’s flood-hit infrastructure

BUSINESS RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reforms has been informed that Rs 6-7 billion are required for reconstruction and rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure due to floods in Chitral. The committee met with Abdul Majeed Khan Khanan Khail in the chair at Planning, Development & Reform Division, P-Block Pak Secretariat on Tuesday.

The committee expressed grave concern over the flood disaster in Chitral and directed to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to ensure completion of rehabilitation work in Chitral as well as provide financial assistance to the affected people at the earliest.

A member of the committee, Iftikhar-ud-Din from Chitral said that 90 % infrastructure of Chitral has been damaged due to recent heavy floods. He said that roads, water supply, bridges, electricity and public private buildings and homes have been damaged. He said that the government should write-off small loans of the people because agriculture land and houses were badly damaged as a result of floods. The committee also recommended to writ-off loans of flood affected people of Chitral.

The committee discussed the routes of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and expressed satisfaction over the pace of work by the National Highway Authority (NHA) and other departments. The committee was of the view that CPEC project would strengthen the economy of Pakistan and help create opportunities of employment.

The committee members expressed concern over the unnecessary delay in completion of Peshawar Northern Bypass project and directed NHA to take up the issue of land acquisition with KPK government and seek support of local parliamentarians in resolving their issues so that the said project could be completed without further delay.

The following MNAs attended the meeting: Syed Muhammad Athar Hussain Shah Gillani, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Ms. Shaheen Shafiq, Mrs. Shamas-un-Nisa, Qaiser Jamal, Ms. Asyia Nasir, Sher Akber Khan, and Iftikhar-ud-Din.