Punjab govt committed to rehabilitating each flood-affected person: minister

LAHORE: Punjab Local Government and Community Development Minister Mian Mahmood-ul-Rashid has said that first the process of rehabilitation of flood victims would be completed and then there would be politics in Punjab.

While addressing a press conference on Friday, he said that local bodies’ elections in Punjab would be held under a law that the government and the opposition would agree on and not under the Act passed overnight by the former government.

“The entire nation was suffering from the punishment of the regime change operation and that was why transparent and prompt elections were the demand of the entire nation,” he added.

According to him, initially, the federal government was nowhere to be seen in the flood-affected areas of Punjab, now photo sessions are taking place. It is everyone’s responsibility to help the flood victims who are in trouble. We all have to work together to get the flood affected people out of this historic catastrophe.

Speaking on the flood relief activities, the Minister said that about 900,000 acres of land had been affected in the districts of south Punjab due to the floods and torrential rains, while 40 people had been killed by floods and 37 people had been killed by the collapse of houses.

He added that 141 people were seriously injured and 2009 people were slightly injured while 390 large animals and 1136 small animals were affected by the flood in southern Punjab.

Rashid further said that under the relief package of the Punjab Chief Minister, Rs 1 million had been approved for the families of each deceased person while Rs 300,000 for each injured person. “A survey of the flood-affected area is being conducted and after the survey is completed, the distribution of relief money will be started among the victims.” he added.

The Minister said that his department started preparation for flood fighting since February this year. “It made available 235 dewatering sets, 122 tractor trolleys, 13 sucker machines, 41 generators and 52 temporary disposal stations for the Dera Ghazi Khan division.

Almost all departments were engaged in relief activities; from secretaries of union council to the highest rank officers personally supervised the relief operations. Even the members of civil society, such as Imams of Masajid, NGOs and public representative, have been made part of the relevant committees,” he added.

He ensured that every penny of the relief money would be transparently delivered to the beneficiaries. He further said that after the flood water recedes, the rehabilitation work will begin. “First of all, the flood-affected roads, bridges, passages and infrastructure will be restored and the relevant departments will work together to provide relief to the flood victims,” he added.

“Today, 10 trucks of relief goods are being sent to the flood-affected areas, while 1,000 gas stoves will be distributed among the flood victims. Sets of used clothes are also being sent to the affected areas,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022