LAHORE:The Punjab government has decided to start a damage assessment survey in the flood-affected areas from September 12.
The rehabilitation phase would 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, held at the Civil Secretariat.
Finance Minister Mohsin Khan Laghari, Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi and Revenue Minister Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmed Khan attended the meeting.
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 said 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.
Basharat Raja said that after the relief activities, the government is moving towards the rehabilitation phase.“Chief Minister Punjab wants restoration of flood victims on war footing,” he said and added that 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”, he directed.
He expressed 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.
Basharat Raja called for a feasibility report on the construction of dams along the hill torrents. 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 affected families have gone back to their native areas.
“The Punjab government is also approving purchase of additional things worth Rs.39 crore for the affectees,” said Raja.