Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday that he would tour the entire province to provide succour to those affected by rains.
He was addressing the public at Sialkot, Muridke, Daska, Kamoke and Gujranwala. Sharif said he would not rest till those affected had been rehabilitated.
The chief minister said the government would overcome this challenge with the support of the public. He said the government would leave no stone unturned in alleviating the problems of those affected.
The chief minister said overcoming the challenge was the collective responsibility of public representatives and the administration. Sharif said no tolerance would be shown in this regard. The chief minister said those who failed to serve the public should vacate public offices. He said the government was using all resources at its disposal to rehabilitate those affected.
The chief minister said public representatives should strive to solve the problems of the people instead of whiling time away in their offices. He said lawmakers must serve those who had voted for them.
Sharif said an emergency had been declared in the province and a flood alert had been issued.
The chief minister said he had instructed his ministers to monitor relief activities in the Punjab. He said he had directed secretaries to visit affected areas to provide relief to the public.
Sharif said unfavourable weather conditions would not deter him and he would travel across the province by car if helicopter services were interrupted.
The chief minister said he was prepared to visit less accessible places on foot if the need arose.
Separately, Sharif presided over a meeting in Sargodha. Lawmakers, department heads and administrative officials were present in the meeting.
He said the performance of officials would be analysed in terms of their contribution in carrying out relief activities.
He said the efforts of those officials who discharged their duties competently would be appreciated and encouraged. Sharif admonished administration officials in Sialkot for failing to come up with a long term solution. He reprimanded them for being unable to mitigate the losses incurred by floods. The chief minister said eloquence of speech was not a substitute for performance.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2014.
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