Punjab government has decided to spend more than Rs 1 billion donated to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund on the construction of new villages in the flood-hit areas of the province. This was stated by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who visited village Miran Mullan of Muzaffargarh on Monday to review construction of new houses in the flood-hit areas of Southern Punjab.
Miran Mullan was completed destroyed in the recent floods and it is the first village of the country where free of cost houses are being constructed for the flood affected people. The chief minister had laid foundation stone of the new houses here about 15 days ago. Addressing the flood victims, the chief minister said that the programme of construction of free houses in the flood-hit areas is being started from those villages that were completely wiped out by the flood.
He said that foreign and local welfare organisations as well as people of Pakistan have provided huge funds for this purpose. He said that decision regarding the design and the construction material for the houses to be built in the villages will be taken with the consultation of local people and rural traditions and needs of the residents will be kept in view in the construction of these houses.
The chief minister said that floods were indeed a catastrophe but there is a need for exploring new avenues of life from this tragedy. Therefore, he said, efforts are being made to ensure that the programme of model villages should prove to be precursor of a revolution in the rural life.
He said he is of the view that people of rural areas have as much right over basic facilities as the residents of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other big cities. He said arrangements are being made for the supply of potable water, drainage and separate sheds for livestock in the model villages. He said that funds would also be allocated for the construction of roads, schools and dispensaries in these villages.
Referring to the distribution of Watan Cards, the Chief minister said that around 1,60,000 cards have been prepared in the flood affected districts of the province and a sum of Rs 1 billion and 250 million has been distributed among the affected families.
He said that he had directed UBL authorities to double the number of mobile vans for Watan cards. He said that he has also issued instructions to Nadra to increase Watan card centres in district Muzaffargarh. The chief minister also inspected the temporary school set up in Miran Mullan and said that the building of the new school will soon be completed.
The chief minister described the disabled person Allah Rakha who had donated five marla land for the school as a great human being. Former member British parliament Chaudhry Sarwar who accompanied the chief minister appreciated the project of construction of model village in Miran Mullan and announced to bear expenses of 300 houses in Punjab.
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