KARACHI: In a series of meetings held by the Caretaker Minister for Finance, Revenue and P&D Mohammad Younus Dagha, it was informed that out of the 2.1 million houses destroyed, the construction work has been started on 130,000 houses against which Rs. 10.306 bn have been released to the flood affectees through their bank accounts. The minister Dagha observed that at this pace it will take several years to complete the task adding to the misery of the affected people which will also enhance the reconstruction cost several times. He directed the Project Director/CEO and the partner NGOs to ensure bank account opening of at least 100,000 flood affected every month and ensure release of at least Rs. 20 bn every month to bring the pace of work to a level that the reconstruction of houses is completed in the shortest possible time. The meetings were informed that the damages to the houses and infrastructure in Sindh during 2022 floods were estimated to be USD 5.5 bn and the funds required for reconstruction of the houses was USD 1.521 bn or Rs. 425.843 bn on the current rates. The funds procured till now amounted to Rs. 190.00 bn, out of which the World Bank has committed loans of USD 500 million (Rs. 140 bn), and GOS Rs. 50 bn. The funding gap is USD 0.872 bn Rs. 244.243 bn. DNA
