Civil Defence Day: Volunteers’ stipend may be raised

Seminar held at Town Hall after a walk.

LAHORE:

The city district government on Friday formed a committee to look if there was room legally for the district coordination officer to raise the daily payments made to Civil Defence volunteers.

The executive district officer (EDO) for finance, the district officer Coordination, the PSO to administrator, the PSO to DCO and the district officer (Civil Defence) have been given three days to submit their findings.

A request to raise the daily payment from Rs200 to Rs350 has also been sent to the Civil Defence director general. It awaits his approval.

No less than 7,000 volunteers are registered with the Civil Defence in the city, out of which some 500 are currently assigned duties.

A walk from Nasser Bagh to Town Hall was organised in connection with the International Civil Defence Day on Friday.

It was led by the DCO. City government officers and civil defence volunteers attended the walk.

Later, speaking at a seminar at the Town Hall, the DCO said that the volunteers were performing the duties with honesty and passion.

Civil Defence District Officer Qari Sher Alam said that the volunteers have always been in the forefront in case of an emergency in the city.

Talking to The Express Tribune several volunteers expressed their concern over the meagre payment.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2013.