Rehabilitation phase will begin soon after completion of survey
Punjab government has decided to start a damage assessment survey in the flood-affected areas from September 12. The rehabilitation phase will begin after the survey is completed on September 27.
These decisions were taken in the fourth meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Disaster Management constituted by the Chief Minister Punjab to review the relief activities in the flood affected areas was held at the Civil Secretariat Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Cooperatives and Environment Muhammad Basharat Raja in chair.
Finance Minister Mohsin Khan Laghari, Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi and Revenue Minister Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmed Khan also attended. Special Assistant Chief Minister Punjab Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar participated through video link. Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Zahid Akhtar Zaman, while briefing the meeting on relief and rehabilitation measures, suggested that the population along flood range should be permanently relocated to safer places by constructing houses with government help.
He told that welfare organizations have also offered to build houses for the affected people.
“Teams have been formed for the survey starting from next week. As soon as the survey is completed, distribution of relief funds and construction of houses will be started”, briefed the SMBR.
Chairman Ministerial Committee Muhammad Basharat Raja said that after the relief activities, we are moving towards the rehabilitation phase.
“Chief Minister Punjab wants restoration of flood victims on war footing. No department should be lax in assessing the difficulties of the affected people and all concerned departments should give their own road map for rehabilitation”, directed the chair.
He expressed his satisfaction over constituting of a committee under Dr. Sania Nishtar for the utilization of the Chief Minister’s Flood Relief Fund. An action plan was also considered during the meeting to deliver the flood funds to the victims in a transparent manner. Dr. Sania Nishtar said that Chairman Imran Khan has issued clear instructions that no stone should remain unturned in helping the flood affected families.
Chairman Ministerial Committee Muhammad Basharat Raja called for a feasibility report on the construction of dams along the hill torrents. “No unnecessary delay, he warned, “People whose houses were not built on their own land will be settled on government lands”.
He said that on the instructions of the Chief Minister, medical teams were also sent from Punjab to Sindh and Balochistan. He directed the district administrations and PDMA to take in to loop assembly members of their respective areas during relief and rehabilitation activities.
The meeting was apprised that the majority of flood effected families have gone back to their native areas. “Pakey ka areas suffered more damages than kachey ka area.
Punjab government is buying 25 thousand more tents for the affected families” the briefing said. Finance Minister Mohsin Laghari said that 60,000 houses were partially damaged in the recent floods in Punjab and tents have been provided to 40,000 of them.
“Punjab government is also approving purchase of additional things worth Rs.39 crore for the effectees”, said FM.
He directed that the district administration should prohibit resettlement at flood flash areas .
Minister of Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi emphasized on early assessment of crop damage and compensation to farmers.
