Dr Fahmida directs officials to expedite relief work

HYDERABAD: Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza has directed the district government and the relief agencies to expedite relief work with transparency.

She was presiding over a meeting on Sunday attended by Secretary Irrigation Khalid Hussain Memon, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Zafar Qadir, DCO Badin Kazim Hussain Jatoi, EDOs of health and agriculture and other concerned officers in Badin.

The NA speaker said the number of relief camps should be increased in order to provide shelter to as many rain displaced people as possible. More than 600 millimeters rainfall between August 9 and 10 affected over 80 percent of 1.8 million population in Badin.

Fehmida Mirza warned the officials that no negligence would be tolerated. She expressed satisfaction over the performance of district health department.

"Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in Badin for which mobile health teams have been formed,"she said adding that the team would visit far flung areas to provide health service to the people who did not have access to the medical facilities.

The National Assembly Speaker also directed Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) and the irrigation secretary to speed up the plugging of breaches in canals and distributaries as well as saline water drains.

She ordered the EDO Education to take action against absentee teachers for their reluctance to work at the relief camps.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011