RAJANPUR - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced initiation projects worth billions of rupees to save Rajanpur from floods and make it “Mini Lahore’.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif pledged that he would not rest content till the complete rehabilitation of the last flood-affected person and had come to Rajanpur to fulfil this promise.
Addressing a ceremony held to distribute cheques of financial assistance among flood-affected families, the Punjab CM said that financial assistance worth more than Rs530 million would be distributed among 21000 people for the reconstruction and cultivation of crops, adding that the entire process would be completed in four days under the supervision of local parliamentarians.
He warned against delay in the process, saying that the entire administration would have to face the music if anyone found lethargic.
Addressing the function at Sports Stadium Rajanpur, the chief minister said that the people of Rajanpur had to face destruction every year as a result of rainwater and deluge from mountains that destroy their houses and crops.
Therefore, we have decided to rid the people of Rajanpur on permanent basis and like Lahore, Rajanpur will also be saved from flood. Shahbaz Sharif said that in the flood of 2010, he had stood with the people of South Punjab. He said that billions of rupees had been spent on the construction of four model villages, Rescue 1122 service in Rojhan, sports stadium, reconstruction of Jampur City and other development schemes in the district.
The CM announced that on the pattern of steps of 2010 and 2012, flood affectees would be rehabilitated on emergent basis and the administration would not be allowed to rest content till the rehabilitation of last person. He pointed out that he had been apprised that most of the officers including doctors and teachers did not perform their duties and new officers would be posted by removing them.
On the occasion, the CM was told that 26000 tents villages had been set up in flood-affected areas of District Rajanpur, 125,000 bags of rice and atta were distributed among the affectees, medical facilities costing Rs0.6 million were provided and Rs5.5 million were distributed among the heirs of 11 people died due to flood at the rate of Rs500,000 per person.
Crops on 98,915 acres and 5,230 houses were damaged in 80 villages of the district during the recent flood. Compensation of Rs30,000 per person for reconstruction of houses and Rs4000 per acre would be distributed among 16,498 farmers.
The Punjab CM while taking notice of alleged corruption in Danish School Fazilpur warned that embezzlement of public exchequer would not be tolerated in any department.
He also announced a grant of Rs one million for Rajanpur Press Club on the occasion. Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Sher Ali Gorchani, Provincial Minister for Prisons Ch Abdul Waheed Arain, Members National Assembly Jaffar Khan Leghari, Dr Hafeez Khan Dareshak, MPA Atif Hussain Mazari, Commissioner Dera Gahzi Khan Muhammad Amin Chaudhry, DCO Ghazi Aman Ullah, PML-N leader Ch Sami Ullah and provincial secretaries were also present on the occasion.