Rs97m cheques handed over to people affected by timber market fire
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah distributed cheques for Rs97.730 million as compensation among 220 people, affected by the Timber Market fire, at a simple ceremony held in Chief Minister House here on Thursday.
Of the total amount, Rs86.084 million was given to 151 traders and the remaining Rs11.646 million was distributed among 69 affected people of residential buildings near the market which were also damaged by the huge fire about three months ago.
The chief minister said on the occasion that he had fulfilled his promise he had made at the time of the tragic fire incident and recalled the government had formed a committee in consultation with the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) and Timber Market Association to conduct a three-phased survey of the damage and suggest immediate financial assistance, compensation for material and business losses and financial help on account of damage to shops and buildings.
He said the first two phases had been completed and the recommendations of the committee had been implemented. “We have now directed the committee to complete the survey report of the third phase about damage to shops and buildings,” he said.
He assured the affectees that his government would act on whatever recommendations were made by the committee in the third phase.
“We want complete rehabilitation of business activities at the Timber Market in light of directives of party co-chairman and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari,” he said, adding the PPP government and leadership had always extended help to business community in its time of trial.
He said the PPP government had also provided financial assistance of up to Rs3 billion for the rehabilitation of the Boltan Market affectees.
Leader of business community Siraj Qasim Teli lauded the Sindh government for providing timely relief to the affectees of two major tragedies, the Timber Market and the Boultan Market fire incidents.
As many as 1,751 affectees of Boultan Market had received compensation for their losses and now more than 200 affectees of Timber Market fire incident had been provided financial assistance, he said.
The president of Timber Market Association, Suleman Soomro, appreciated the chief minister’s efforts for providing relief to the affectees to help them resume commercial activities at the market as soon as possible.
Sindh Minister for Health Jam Mehtab Dahar, Minister for Kutchi Abadis Jawaid Ahmed Nagori, special assistants to CM Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi, KCCI President Iftikhar Vohra, Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui, Additional IG Sindh Police Ghulam Qadir Thebo and other officers concerned and representatives of business community also attended the ceremony.