Daily Times

Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari today visited the rain-affected Lawrence Road, Lakshmi Chowk and General Post Office Chowk without any protocol.

He inspected the Water & Sanitation Agency (WASA) emergency monsoon camps setup at Lawrence Road and Lakshmi Chowk and checked their arrangements for the disposal of water.

At the WASA emergency monsoon camp at Lawrence Road, he was briefed about water disposal arrangements. On the occasion, he said that administration, WASA and other agencies have ensured early disposal of water despite heavy rains and performance of administrative officers and other agencies in this regard was commendable.

“I have personally monitored the water disposal activities and reports have also been presented to me about it. I appreciate the performance of administration and WASA for what I have practically examined,” he said.

Later, he visited the Lakshmi Chowk WASA emergence monsoon camp. He said all the line departments exhibited best team work despite heavy rains and worked hard to dispose off the rain water. He said that he is satisfied that water disposal has been done with continued efforts and added that state is responsible to solve the problems of the citizens and the same is being done in an amicable way.

Talking to the media, he said that 38 years record of rains has been broken in Lahore and due to it, water has accumulated on different roads. However, line departments worked as a team to deal with this challenge. Water is accumulated at Lakshmi Chowk whenever it is raining as it is a low lying area. Our ministers also remained in the field, he said.

“I can understand that citizens faced difficulties due to stagnant water. We would learn from this experience so as to better deal with such challenges if arisen again,” Punjab Caretaker CM Dr Hassan Askari said.

To a question, he said that if all the line departments including administration, WASA, Lahore Development Authority and other agencies have not performed, water would have not been disposed off yet. It is the best performance of these agencies that they have ensured the disposal of water by working day and night. “The issue is not that who is responsible for this situation but the real issue is how to deal with this challenge and how to solve the problems of the citizens,” he added. Certainly, lessons would have to be learnt from this unusual situation to devise effective strategy for future.

To a question, Dr Hassan Askari said that cabinet committee for flood is constituted with Provincial Minister Zafar Mahmood in the chair. This committee was prepared to deal with rains and possible floods. However, torrential rains were beyond human expectations.

Caretaker Provincial Minister for Population Welfare, Social Welfare & Baitul Maal Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq said that if Pakistan wants to make progress and to stand in the list of developed countries, then sustainable and inclusive family planning should be made part of the national security model.

A society cannot be called developed until it gives respect and due rights to women, he added. He was addressing a high level meeting held in the office of Punjab Population Innovation Fund on Wednesday.

Separately, Caretaker Punjab Minister for Food, Agriculture, Planning & Development Sardar Tanvir Ilyas called on Hassan Askari at the Chief Minister’s Office on Wednesday.

Sardar Tanvir Ilyas informed the chief minister about various departmental matters. Talking on the occasion, the CM said that hygienic food keeps the people safe from diseases and added that provision of safe and healthy food items to the citizens is the responsibility of the government. Food and other line departments will have to proactively work for the provision of neat and clean food items to the citizens, he said.

Published in Daily Times, July 5^th 2018.