In addition to the Rs 25 billion that has already been distributed, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the authorities to ensure that Rs 45 billion from the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) funds are distributed to flood victims over the course of the next 10 days. He has also instructed them to provide updates on the status of beneficiary registration.
On September 21, 2022, he issued these directives while presiding over a conference via Zoom.
He instructed the Minister, Secretary of Power, and Secretary of Establishment Division to meet with the Chief Secretaries of Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab to discuss providing administrative and logical support to inundated districts through the deputation of officers with administrative experience, IT specialists, and medical professionals to help with the effective management of relief and rehabilitation efforts in flood-affected areas.
Two million food packets would be distributed around the country, notably in Sindh and Balochistan, in flood-affected districts, according to a report from the minister of planning, development, and special initiatives.
He will also provide an update on the meeting with the Managing Director of Passco, the Minister for National Food Security and Research, and the Chief Minister of Sindh. Following the release of Rs 3 billion earlier and the impending release of Rs 5 billion, the NDMA will provide an update on the procurement of food items, particularly baby milk and nutritional supplements to feed mothers and their babies in flood-affected areas in order to shield them from disease onslaught.
Khawaja Saad Rafique and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will meet with the Dairy Association, Pharmaceutical companies/industrialists/the business community from Punjab to request their potential assistance in the provision of baby food, infant milk, nutritional supplements, and essential medicines like Panadol for relief camps. Bilal Azhar Kayani will arrange the meeting in consultation with Minister for PD&SI.
In order to ensure adequate supply and market availability of essential medications for the prompt response and disease outbreak prevention in flood-affected areas, the Minister for Health, in consultation with the Minister for Finance and Revenue, shall explore the possibility of reducing taxes on those medications.
