HYDERABAD: CM pledges unlimited funds for Hyderabad rain relief
By Our Correspondent
HYDERABAD, Sept 10: Sindh chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Sunday promised unlimited funds for relief operations in Hyderabad district.
He said that City, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas were badly affected by the recent rainfall and they would be given the same relief which other affected districts had been given by the Sindh government.
Admitting that the situation was very bad, he said he would visit Hyderabad (rural) taluka before declaring it as calamity hit and disclosed that he would also get it investigated whether the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) was responsible for not draining out rainwater.
He was speaking to a group of newsmen at two separate locations during his brief visit to parts of Latifabad and Qasimabad.
He was coming to unit No-2 but left for unit-11 from the Auto Bhan road in a convoy following a reported advice by civil administration that people in these areas appeared to be agitated.
He only had an outer look of worst-affected unit-2 and 11 and briefly spoke to rain-affected and displaced people outside a medical camp, set-up by army in a marriage hall of unit No-11.
Accompanied by the district nazim, Kanwar Naveed Jamil, DCO, secretary irrigation and ruling party MPAs, the chief minister flew back to Karachi without addressing a scheduled press briefing in circuit house.
He talked to army officials, the district nazim and DCO and Sindh relief commissioner at the camp.
He asked the district nazim whether he needed money for relief operation to which the district nazim said that presently he didn’t need it now and if ever it is required he would request him.
The chief minister was informed by DCO that mostly double-storey houses are located in unit No-11 Latifabad and people have shifted to upper floor.
Sindh relief commissioner Anwar Hyder asked the district nazim to get first check the pumping machines being purchased from Karachi.
“HDA officials have disappeared from offices and it is necessary that they should be present among people”, an army official told the CM.
A group of poor and distressed women approached and spoke to him inside camp, requesting to just ensure disposal of accumulated rainwater.
“Please give us your chit (parchi) so that we can seek help from government on its basis”, one of the poor women requested him.
All these women said that their homes are completely submerged and their families didn’t have food for the past two days.
They said that they are not allowed to board the boat.
Rain-affected people surrounded his vehicle five-door Pajero outside the medical camp in unit No-1. Outside the camp he told them that he had asked district government to arrange drinking water through tankers.
He said that ration could also be provided if people wanted to cook food. He stated that rain had wreaked havoc.
“It did not rain because of district government”, he replied to a journalist, who asked whether he was satisfied with district government performance after a group of reporters stopped his convoy outside circuit house.
He said that he would release unlimited funds for Hyderabad district, pumps are being purchased for disposal of stagnant rainwater.
He said that he had spoken to prime minister about situation in Hyderabad but didn’t demand anything as existing resources of provincial and district governments were being utilised.
He said that in view of rains entire district is hit by calamity but he formally announced city, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas as calamity-affected.
To a question regarding statement of opposition leader in Sindh Assembly, he said that if government was not doing anything then opposition should at least come forward and help people because they are also elected by them.
