Public service: ‘Flood safety infrastructure being upgraded’

CM offers helicopter for flood relief activities

MUZAFFARGARH:

Rs500 million has been released to build two spurs in Alipur tehsil, said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday.

He was addressing flood-affected families of Kotla Ghulam Ali via video link

The chief minister said the government had evolved a comprehensive strategy to upgrade the flood safety infrastructure.

He said construction of the spurs in Alipur had been nearly completed.

The chief minister said he was personally monitoring safety arrangements and relief activities in flood-affected areas.

He said the Punjab government had set up thousands of relief camps to facilitate those affected by the floods.

The chief minister directed the Cabinet Committee on Floods to accelerate relief activities. He said provision of three meals a day should be ensured at relief camps.

“District administrations have been directed to conduct surveys to assess losses in their areas so that plans for compensation can be finalised,” he said. The chief minister said he had offered his helicopter for assistance of flood affected in south Punjab.

He said the helicopter had transported 200 packets of food and other necessary items to flood affectees through four flights.

“The resources are for the people,” he said. He said MNAs and MPAs from south Punjab should step up the relief efforts.

Earlier, the chief minister chaired a meeting via video link. Cooperatives Minister Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar, MNA Sardar Ashiq Gopang, MPA Hammad Nawaz Tipu, Flood Officer Iftikhar Ali Sahu and DCO Shaukat Ali gave him a briefing to the on the flood situation in Muzaffargarh.

Channar told the chief minister that food had been distributed among 10,000 flood-affected families.

He said 989 people had been housed at relief camps.

The CM was informed that 55,339 acres had been inundated, displacing 39,591 people.

The chief minister was told that there was no major damage reported in Muzafarrgarh.

The DCO said 31,284 people had been moved to safe places.

Later, Channar and the DCO distributed ration among families in flood-hit areas of the district.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2015.