Karachi: The Sindh cabinet has approved a compensation package of Rs 4.021 billion for the victims of catastrophic monsoon rains in mainly southern parts of the province around four months back.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired the meeting of Sindh cabinet. It was the first session of Sindh cabinet after the Sindh CM recovered from coronavirus earlier this month.
The heavy monsoon rains killed in all 149 people and injured another 103 persons in different cities and towns of Sindh. Some 82,315 houses were completely damaged. The heavy rains partially damaged 1,80,565 houses. The rains and resulted flooding in several parts of Sindh also killed 19,795 farm or domesticated animals.
The bereaved families of the each victim killed due to the heavy rains will receive Rs 100,000 compensation. Each of the injured person will receive compensation of Rs 25,000. The victims whose houses completely destroyed will receive Rs 25,000 compensation while Rs 10,000 will be given to the cases of partially damaged houses.
Those who lost big farm animals will receive Rs 10,000 while compensation of Rs 5,000 will be given to the owners of small domesticated animals perished in the natural calamity.
Compensation amount
Sindh cabinet members were of the viewpoint that compensation amount for each of the victim was insufficient as it authorized the Sindh CM to write a letter to the federal government in this regard.
The Sindh CM in his letter will request federal government to give a matching grant to the province so that compensation amount in the case of each victim could be doubled as required given the massive losses due to the heavy rains.
The cabinet also approved the proposal to exempt the concerned farmers and small traders, who became victims of the rain and flooding tragedy, from provincial taxes to compensate for their losses.
The Sindh government will also request to the federal government that it should not levy its taxes on the affected small traders in the province.