70% of Ditwah relief funds still unused

District Secretaries received directives from the Ministry of Defence to speed up the release of disaster relief allocations after revelations showed only 30 percent of funds allocated for rehabilitation and reconstruction following Cyclone Ditwah were utilised to date.

The Treasury reports, as quoted by weekend media reports, have indicated that the National Disaster Relief Services Centre released Rs. 86.7 billion between January and July 2026 for compensation payments and infrastructure development in flood and landslide-affected areas.

However, only Rs. 26.4 billion was spent, leaving Rs. 60.3 billion unutilised.

In a letter dated August 12, the Additional Secretary of the Disaster Management Division instructed District Secretaries to ensure the remaining 70 percent reaches beneficiaries without delay.

The report highlighted slow progress in resettlement efforts, with only Rs. 190 million spent out of Rs. 1.05 billion allocated for relocating affected families by July 31, leaving Rs. 868 million unutilised.

Officials stressed the need to accelerate resettlement programmes and infrastructure development, noting expected additional allocations of Rs. 1.94 billion.

Immediate relief measures saw stronger progress, with 85 percent of Rs. 7.6 billion released for urgent assistance reaching beneficiaries by July 31.

Authorities emphasised that timely disbursement of funds remains critical to restoring livelihoods and rebuilding infrastructure in areas devastated by Cyclone Ditwah.