Peshawar    -  Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has termed expansion of Rescue 1122 services to the entire province an important need of the day and directed the authorities of Relief and Rehabilitation Department to take necessary measures to expand the rescue services to tehsil level so that losses to human lives and properties could be minimised in times of calamities and disasters.  

Presiding over a progress review meeting of Relief and Rehabilitation Department at Chief Minister Secretariat, Mahmood Khan said that all available resources would be utilised to strengthen the Rescue 1122 on modern lines to ensure availability of timely rescue services to the citizens.  

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Kamran Bangash, Secretary Relief Aamir Lateef, Director General Relief Khateer Ahmad and other relevant high officials also attended the meeting. 

During briefing the meeting was informed about the progress on various matters of the department. It was told that so far owners of 81,509 fully/partially damaged properties in the merged districts had been paid compensation amounts whereas additional teams had been deputed for rapid process of the remaining compensations under the citizen losses compensation program.  

The forum was informed that a total of 144,615 houses had been surveyed for compensation purpose. The Chief Minister also directed the authorities to expedite the compensation process. Further, it was told that a total of 5425 projects of rehabilitation of schools, basic health units and road infrastructure had been completed so far through PERA while work on 370 projects was underway. 

Briefing the meeting about the establishment of Rescue 1122 stations in all districts of the province, it was informed that a total of 92 stations were fully functional in 32 districts of the province while a scheme had been approved for the establishment of Rescue 1122 stations in the remaining districts including Kolai Palas, Tor Ghar and Upper Chitral.   

Regarding progress on the projects reflected in the new Annual Development Programme, it was told that PC-1s for seven development schemes reflected in the ADP of Relief Department had been approved while work on preparation of one PC-I was in progress.  

The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the overall performance of relief department and directed the authorities concerned to ensure timely completion of all development projects of the department.