The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh Board on Friday approved a Rs225 million budget for the authority for the 2026-27 financial year and ordered mandatory third-party inspection of relief supplies stored in its warehouses and all future procurements to improve transparency and quality control.
The decisions were taken during the second phase of the 24th meeting of the PDMA Board, chaired by Adviser to the Chief Minister on Rehabilitation and Board Chairman Gyan Chand Essarani at the PDMA headquarters.
The meeting was attended by Rehabilitation Secretary Rafiq Mustafa Shaikh, PDMA Sindh Director General Syed Salman Shah, Director Administration and Finance Syed Shah Hussain Shah, Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Dr Abid Jalaluddin and representatives of relevant government departments.
The board confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting and reviewed progress on earlier decisions before discussing financial management, procurement, staffing requirements and institutional preparedness for disaster response.
While approving the Rs225 million budget, the board also considered a request for additional funds. It constituted a committee headed by the Rehabilitation Secretary, with the PDMA Director Finance and a nominated board member as members, to assess the need for additional allocations, their proposed utilisation and financial justification.
The committee was directed to submit its recommendations within 15 days, after which the board will take a final decision on the request. To strengthen accountability in relief operations, the board approved verification of relief goods stored at PDMA warehouses in Karachi, Jamshoro and Sukkur. It also decided that all future supplies received from vendors would undergo independent third-party inspection and quality verification before acceptance.
The board authorised the engagement of an accredited third-party organisation to verify the quality, quantity and technical specifications of relief items. On human resources, the board reviewed staffing requirements for year-round operations and formed a committee comprising the Rehabilitation Secretary, PDMA Director Operations and a representative of the relevant department to assess existing manpower, operational needs and future requirements.
The meeting also approved framework contracts for procuring essential emergency supplies and authorised arrangements for transportation services, either directly through PDMA or third parties. The board decided to invite tenders for hiring skilled emergency response personnel and supplying ration packs to ensure competitive prices and timely availability of relief assistance during disasters.
