Dasti launches bus service for flood victims

It will provide free travel between Muzaffargarh, adjoining areas

LAYYAH:

National Assembly Member Jamshed Dasti started a bus service on Sunday for flood affected families.

The service, named Awami Raj Bus Service, would provide free travel to flood victims of Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Jatoi, Alipur, Kot Addu and Kot Sultan.

Dasti drove the bus from Muzaffargarh to Alipur during the inauguration ceremony.

He said the bus could travel 450 kilometres in 12 hours. He said more than 2,000 flood victims would benefit from the service.

He said in the first phase, the bus would travel through Alipur, Jatoi, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu, Kot Sultan and Jaman Shah to Layyah. It would travel through Chowk Azam, Chowk Munda and Muzaffargarh, to return to Alipur, Dasti said.

He said in the second phase, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa, Razmak, and Dera Ismail Khan would be included in the route.

He said the third phase of the service would cover Multan, Bhakkar and Mianwali.

Dasti said providing essential services to the flood-hit people of south Punjab was the need of the hour.

“Floods have destroyed crops and damaged homes,” he said. “Providing the flood victims relief should be the first priority of the government.”

Commenting on the judicial commission’s ruling on electoral rigging, Dasti said the prime minister and the PTI chief should be congratulated for reaching a consensus.

He said, “They should work for rehabilitation of flood-affected families instead of fighting in the parliament.”

He said the government had spent billions of rupees on metro bus service.

“I have launched this bus service by collecting charity,” he said. He said Rs8 million had been donated by philanthropists for the bus service.

Dasti urged the government to announce a compensation package for those affected by the flood.

Dasti said that parts of Mianwali, Bhakkar, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Jhang, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan had been inundated in the recent floods.

“Politicians have visited these areas for photo shoots but have not taken any tangible steps to help the poor families,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2015.