Daily Times

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has said that the provincial government has taken timely steps for the rehabilitation of the flood victims.

He said that along with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue 1122, the district administration also worked hard to help the flood victims. He said the families of those, who died due to floods and rains, have been given financial assistance of one million per person.

“Dry ration has also been provided to more than 168,000 victims, while more than 5,000 blankets and 44,000 plus tents have been distributed to flood victims. More than 1,400 rescue boats participated in relief activities to transport flood victims to safe places and 34,000 bags of flour were also distributed among the victims,” he mentioned.

Similarly, more than 23,000 mosquito nets and 21,000 life jackets have also been provided. Alongside this, lakhs of animals have been vaccinated, he further said.

According to a handout, the CM said that the financial assistance has been increased to compensate for the damages to the houses and livestock by the floods. The Punjab government has not been given a penny for the rehabilitation of the flood victims by the federal government; he regretted and noted that the Punjab government is performing the duty of rehabilitating the flood victims with its own resources. It also sent a medical relief mission to help the flood victims of Sindh and Balochistan, while two mobile health units were sent to the flood-affected areas of Sindh.

The chief minister said the Punjab government was helping the affected people, while rising above politics. He lamented that the federal government was playing politics over the flood victims which is unfortunate.

“Despite being in London, I am aware of the progress on the rehabilitation measures of the victims daily and rehabilitation activities will continue until the resettlement of the flood victims,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Parvez Elahi has expressed satisfaction with the best arrangements for the celebrations of Eid Milad-un-Nabi and congratulated the administration, police and law enforcement agencies in this regard. He has also appreciated the performance of the cabinet committee on law and order. Due to the foolproof arrangements of the Punjab government, the celebrations were held in a peaceful environment throughout the province, he said, and noted that untiring efforts were made to maintain the atmosphere of peace and harmony.

The line departments performed their duties diligently to protect the life and property of the people, he said. The way the departments worked as a team is commendable.

Meanwhile, the chief minister contacted IG Police Faisal Shahkar from London over the murder of eight people in a Sheikhupura village.

The CM expressed his anger at the police officials for not taking timely action against the arrested accused who injured some locals a few days earlier. He ordered action against the police station’s staff and regretted that if they had taken legal action on the incident earlier, this tragedy would have been avoided. The SHO and his staff showed the worst negligence; he lamented and noted that the usual laziness and negligence of the police resulted in the loss of lives of eight innocent people. There is no room for such SHO and staff in the police department, he stressed.