Provincial departments should make coordinated efforts for evacuation of marooned people: CS Punjab

Lahore: Provincial departments should make coordinated efforts for evacuation of marooned people and provision of relief to the flood affectees in the light of directions of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. For this purpose Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) will be the focal department in this regard, he added.

It was stated by the Chief Secretary Punjab Naveed Akram Cheema while chairing a high level meeting to review the flood situation, relief activities and steps taken for the evacuation of marooned people, at Civil Secretariat today. Besides, Provincial Ministers, Bilal Yasin, Col. Retd. Shuja Khanzada and Ch. Muhammad Shafique, Syed Zaeem Qadri, Additional Chief Secretary Aamir Sohail Mirza, Secretary to CM Punjab Imdad Ullah Bosal, Senior Member Board of Revenue, secretaries / additional secretaries of the concerned departments, DG Health, DG Rescue-1122 and officers of Pak Army and police attended the meeting.

Chief Secretary ordered ban on leave of officers/officials of government departments till further orders. He directed that all concerned departments especially Health, C&W and Irrigation should depute at least one grade-19 officer round the clock in flood control room. Naveed Akram Cheema said government will utilize all its resources for relief and rehabilitation of the flood affected people and Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has provided all financial and logistic resources. He further directed that anticipatory plan should be chalked out for combating expected flood in other areas of the province in view of more rains in the catchment areas of the rivers.

While addressing the meeting, Minister Environment Col. Retd. Shuja Khanzada said that public representatives and government functionaries should work as a team with dedication and devotion to come up to the expectations of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. He said that Chief Minister will not rest content till complete rehabilitation of flood affectees. Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin appreciated the officers and officials working in the field for providing relief and succor to their brothers and sisters. Bilal Yasin further said that government would provide compensation for the loss of crops and property for which a survey would be conducted after receding of flood water.

All officers apprised the meeting regarding rescue activities for flood affectees by their departments. DG Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz informed that Health Department’s medical teams have provided medical cover to eight thousand patients so far and lives of 80 snake bite incidents have been saved.