Punjab has a way of dealing with flood victims

• CM wants flood victims’ complaints resolved immediately, orders sugar mills to pay farmers in 48 hours, promises to pay Rs 1.6m against each flood casualty
• Punjab ministers, PML-N MPAs to donate one-month pay for flood victims’ relief

Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif Tuesday directed the provincial Cabinet Committee on Flood Relief to take all possible steps for immediate redressal of complaints of flood victims.

Presiding over a meeting of the committee after visiting flood-hit areas to review the arrangements for the flood victims, the chief minister said committees have been constituted at district level for monitoring relief and rehabilitations work. He said ten mechanical tandoors have been set up in flood-hit districts for providing fresh bread to affected people.

Shahbaz directed that the process of survey for assessing the losses should be accelerated in those areas where water has receded. He said provision of medical facilities including administering of anti-polio drops and vaccination for measles to children should be ensured.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister’s Fund for Flood relief has been established for the relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people in Punjab province.

In his remarks, Punjab chief minister said the provincial cabinet and the PML-N members of Punjab Assembly will contribute their one month salary to the fund. He said the recent floods have displaced millions of people and all segments of society should come forward for the aid of flood hit people.

PAY WHAT’S DUE:

Separately, during his visit to Kot Khaira, Chund and Wijhlana, Shahbaz ordered sugar mills to pay outstanding dues to sugarcane growers within 48 hours.

He said the Punjab government would bear all losses to motors and tube-wells by floodwater in affected areas. He said PM Nawaz Sharif would not stop helping victims till the last victim was settled.

DCO Raja Khurram Shahzad Omer briefed him about the flood situation, losses and relief activities. The chief minister was told that a breach in an embankment near Wijhland had inundated many localities but the city remained safe.

The chief minister said all losses would be compensated and the government would reconstruct houses demolished by flood. “For every casualty in floods, the government will pay Rs 1.6 million to the family and every affected family would get Rs 25,000 before Eid,” he added. He directed the administration to speed up the relief operation in all flood-hit areas.

DONATIONS:

In the meanwhile, all ministers of Punjab provincial cabinet as well as ruling PML-N’s Punjab Assembly members have announced to donate their one-month salary for flood affectees on Tuesday.

The fund will be submitted the Punjab government has set up a chief minister’s flood relief fund. Officials said affluent people and overseas Pakistani to generously donate for flood affectees of Punjab and Azad Kashmir.