KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday urged National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) chairman Tariq Malik to develop a database and system for transparent distribution of relief goods and transfer of cash to the flood victims.

“We want distribution of relief goods in such a smooth and transparent way that each and every affected family can benefit,” he said during a meeting with the Nadra chief.

The CM said the heavy rains/floods had displaced around 1.5 million people and collapsed three million houses.

“Presently over 600,000 people are living in camps and a similar number of affected people have temporarily settled along the main roads and highways,” he said.

Mr Shah said the provincial and federal governments, friendly countries, and donor agencies were providing support for relief goods to the flood victims. “I want you (Nadra) to develop a database of the affected people on a union council basis with the provision of making entry of relief goods being provided to them so that it can be verified,” he said and added that there must be digital details of the recipient and donor/administration giving them goods.

The Nadra chairman told the CM that his organisation would develop the best database so that donations could reach the deserving people, and it could be checked.

He further informed the meeting that Nadra had started stationing their mobile units in the areas where its offices had collapsed and stopped functioning.

The CM urged him to give priority to the people whose CNICs had expired.

The Nadra chief said that all the expired CNICs had been validated up to Dec 31, 2022.

The matter of cash transfer to the flood-affected people also came under discussion and the Nadra chief suggested that the flood victims could be given a facility to open their bank accounts only on their CNIC.

“These accounts can be open in mobile bank units to be stationed at relief camps/affected villages by partner banks,” he suggested.

The CM directed the chief secretary to further discuss with the Nadra chief and get a system/database evolved so that distribution of relief goods could be made properly.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2022