The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a substantial increase in compensation packages for victims of recent floods, pledging swift and transparent financial support to families who lost loved ones, sustained injuries, or suffered property damage. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, in a video statement on Thursday, said the provincial government had doubled the death compensation from Rs1 million to Rs2 million per victim. The compensation for injured persons has been raised from Rs250,000 to Rs500,000. Owners of completely destroyed houses will now receive Rs1 million instead of Rs400,000, while partially damaged houses will be compensated at Rs300,000, up from Rs100,000. For the first time, shopkeepers whose businesses were destroyed will receive Rs500,000, while shop owners whose establishments were inundated will be paid Rs100,000 for cleaning expenses. He further announced that compensation would also be provided for losses to crops, orchards, and livestock, with details to be finalized by the Relief Department. To facilitate these payments, the government has already released Rs6.5 billion to the Relief Department and will soon issue an additional Rs5 billion, making the total allocation Rs11.5 billion. Highlighting the scale of destruction, Gandapur said that cloudbursts and torrential rains since August 15 have left 406 people dead and 245 others injured across the province. The hardest-hit districts include Buner, Swat, Shangla, Bajaur, Mansehra, and Swabi. Floods and landslides destroyed 664 houses and damaged 2,431 more. Infrastructure losses were also immense, with 511 roads, 77 bridges, and 2,123 shops affected. The CM said the provincial government responded immediately after receiving reports of the first cloudburst in Bajaur on August 15. Relevant departments, rescue teams, and district administrations were mobilized without delay. “Timely response by officials and rescue workers saved thousands of lives,” he added. According to the CM, a total of 5,566 people were rescued during operations carried out with the help of 176 vehicles and boats and more than 2,000 rescue personnel. Relief activities began immediately after rescue efforts, with 119,000 people provided cooked meals and 125 trucks carrying essential relief goods dispatched to affected areas. He said 136 roads and 65 bridges had already been restored, while 70 medical camps were set up in flood-hit regions to provide healthcare. Gandapur shared details of the financial assistance distributed to date. Families of 350 deceased persons have been paid a total of Rs654 million. Compensation worth Rs195 million has been given to 18 injured individuals, while the verification process for others is under way. In addition, 4,432 beneficiaries have received Rs15,000 each under food stamps, amounting to Rs665 million. Payments of Rs280 million have been made to shopkeepers, while Rs790 million has been disbursed to affected households. Further compensation worth more than Rs2.3 billion will be distributed soon. The CM stressed that compensation will be provided in a transparent and hassle-free manner through a digital payment system. For children who lost parents in the floods, special accounts are being opened by deputy commissioners to ensure timely payments.
from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/x7nHzrR
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