Caretaker Provincial Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Care Punjab Dr Jamal Nasir on Tuesday directed the officials concerned to issue the suspension orders of the Director Labour Department, Rawalpindi over his negligence from duty. Presiding over a meeting to review anti-dengue arrangements along with Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaqat Ali Chatha, he said that dengue was a national issue and no negligence would be tolerated in this regard. The minister directed the allied departments to ensure their performance satisfactory up to 100 per cent during the next two weeks else strict action would be taken against them.
Taking notice of the fake entries, he directed to issue show cause notices to those involved in the bogus activities reports.
Dr Jamal Nasir further directed the Chief Executive Officer of Rawalpindi Waste Management Company to spray insecticides daily in 3,400 garbage bins placed across the city and send the proposal of constructing at least three transfer stations in the city immediately.
Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner Laiqat Ali Chatta informed that the grubbing of 150 graveyards by the District Council and 75 graveyards by the Municipal Corporation had been completed to control the larvae breeding sites.
Apart from this, due to the timely desilting of the Nulla Lai, the favourable environment for dengue larvae was also reduced due to the drainage of rainwater.
He said that 102 encroachments on Nullah Lai and 79 encroachments identified on the tributaries were being removed. He said that a third-party validation team from Lahore had arrived at Rawalpindi which will issue a detailed report soon on which institutions or officials’ negligence would be held accountable. Laiqat added that only 37 confirmed cases had been reported in the district so far which were less than compared to other districts. However, he directed the relevant officials to expedite anti-dengue surveillance at graveyards and junkyards which were vulnerable palaces for dengue larvae breeding.
