September 12, 2003	Friday	Rajab 14, 1424

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PESHAWAR, Sept 11: The NWFP government’s flood relief cell is unable to pay compensatory amount to families of victims who lost their lives last week when lightning struck two villages in Upper Dir due to non-availability of required funds, official sources said.

In its budget estimates for the 2003-04 financial year, the provincial government had earmarked a sum of Rs10 million for the office of flood relief commissioner - the amount already spent in the first two months of the fiscal year.

Official sources said that at the start of the current financial year the flood relief cell was required to pay over Rs8 million to dispose of last year’s pending cases of compensation.

“ After payment of compensation pertaining to the last financial year and procurement of some flood relief items the flood relief cell is left with hardly about Rs500,000,” said a senior official of the provincial government.

The government, said the sources, was required to pay over Rs1.2 million as compensation to families of those killed in Upper Dir last week.

Twenty-nine people, were killed and two injured when lightening struck two villages of Dir district, followed by torrential rains on September 6.

“ Against an estimated requirement of Rs1.2 million, the authorities concerned have about Rs400,000 to release to the district government concerned for onward distribution among the aggrieved families,” said an official of a department concerned.

In all, the flood relief cell required Rs12 million to dispose of all the cases of compensation lodged during the current financial year.

Non-availability of funds had rendered the NWFP flood relief cell helpless, the sources said.