Rajanpur: CM announces Rs50 million relief for flood affected

Shahbaz Sharif took an aerial view of Rajanpur district to assess damage caused by recent floods.

RAJANPUR: Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif has announced a relief package of Rs50 million on Monday for the flood affected people of the Rajanpur district after taking an aerial view of the flood hit areas.    

The chief minister's visit came a day after floods triggered by rain over Suleman Mountain Ranges at the Kaha Sultan and Chachar hills disconnected road access to 20 to 22 villages of the district besides inundating crops and rural settlements.

"The Punjab government will not leave the affected people alone in this hour of trouble," the CM said while talking to the flood hit people, their elected representatives and media persons at a relief camp in Fazalpur.

"The flooding is a disaster and extending all kind of help and assistance to the communities in trouble is our prime responsibility," he added. The provincial government believed in serving the flood hit people without any discrimination, he said.

He ordered the district administration and department officials to participate wholeheartedly in flood relief and rehabilitation activities. The negligent would face stern action, he warned.

He ordered DG Khan Commissioner, DCO and Rajanpur DPO to set up relief camps to cover a maximum number of affected people. He lauded the army for transporting food packets arranged by the provincial government to the affected families by helicopters to areas that had become inaccessible after damage to link roads.

The chief minister also travelled by road to meet flood hit people near Hajipur. He talked to many affected people who informed the CM about their problems.

Earlier, the CM reached Fareed Airbase by a special plane and took an aerial view of the flood hit areas including Hajipur,Bakharpur, Miranpur, Tibbi Lundaan and Lal Garh by a helicopter before he landed at the Fazalpur relief camp where he was received by Acting Speaker Punjab Assembly Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, MNA Dr Hafeez Ur Rahman Dareshak, MPA Sardar Atif KhanMazari, commissioner DG Khan Chaudhry Muhammad Amin, DCO RajanpurGhazi Amanullah and DPO Rajanpur Ehsan Manzoor.