Mirpur (Ajk)
In order to monitor, gather and
furnish all concerned with lat
est information on ongoing rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities in the land and snow-slide stricken areas of Neelum Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has setup a ‘Special Monitoring Cell’ (SMC) at Jammu & Kashmir House in Islamabad, official sources have said.
The Special Monitoring Cell would directly feed the updated information of the ongoing rescue and relief operation to the Prime Minister of the State Raja Farooq Haider Khan, official sources told APP here late Wednesday.
All concerned Deputy Commissioners and officials of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) have been directed to keep updating the latest situation regarding their operations in the affected areas to the cell on priority basis, the sources said.
The Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan, meanwhile, remained unable to visit the Neelam valley Wednesday due to bad-weather conditions and returned back to the capital city, reviewed the ongoing rescue and relief efforts.
Haider directed the administration of the affected districts of AJK and other concerned departments to accelerate their operations maintaining complete and effective institutional coordination.
Meanwhile, talking to media on Wednesday, Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan said that all available resources are being utilized to rehabilitate those affected in recent torrential rains and heavy snowfall.
He said top most priority of his government is to save the lives of people by shifting them to the safer places and providing best available medical facilities to the injured.
Expressing profound gratitude to the Pak Army for actively taking part in the rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations in the land, snow slide affected areas of the state; Raja Farooq Haider said, the way Army jawans took part in the rescue and relief efforts is remarkable. ‘No one could present an example of such commitment and selfless service’, he remarked.
The premier also thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for visiting the state capital in such a crisis time and expressing solidarity with the victim families.
He also lauded the role of SDMA, administration and other concerned departments for effectively responding the calamity.
‘We cannot fight to the natural calamities, however, through better and effective planning we can minimize its losses’, the premier said.
Raja Farooq Haider said that he will visit the Neelum Valley soon after weather clearance. Replying a question, he said civil administration in collaboration with Pak Army and NDMA are busy in minimizing the vulnerabilities of the victim population round the clock.
‘We are striving hard to rehabilitate the affectees as soon as possible. The damaged roads are being rehabilitated on war footing basis’, he added.—APP
