Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday that the provincial government has decided to curtail its development and non-development expenditures for rehabilitation of flood people. Shahbaz paid a detailed visit to flood affected areas of South Punjab on Friday.
He went to Jampur, Rajanpur and Mittankot where he inspected medical camps and tent villages, addressed flood affectees as well as inquired from the people individually about there problems. He also reviewed the supply of edibles and ration in the relief camps. Representatives of United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) also accompanied the Chief Minister.
Addressing the flood victims, the Chief Minister said that despite the importance of development projects, the government is concentrating only on the relief and rehabilitation of flood-hit people and has decided to curtail developmental and non-development expenditures.
He said that uplift schemes can be delayed while no laxity can be shown towards the relief and rehabilitation of the millions of the devastated people. He said Punjab government will make all out efforts for the provision of necessities of life to the calamity-stricken people.
Taking notice of the complaints that the persons staying at the relief camps are given preference in the distribution of dry ration, the Chief Minister ordered that not only dry ration should be supplied to the flood affectees who have taken refuge at dykes, spurs, hillocks and railway-tracks but boats should also be used for this purpose. He further directed that the daily flights of helicopters should also be increase in this regard.
On a complaint of the affectees, the Chief Minister issued orders for the immediate suspension of DDO(R) Rojhan. The Chief Minister was informed that the aforementioned officer was rude and paid no heed to the complaints of calamity-stricken people. The Chief Minister also directed IG Police Punjab who has set up his office in South Punjab for the last number of days for checking the incidents of theft and profiteering of petrol in inundated areas to take stern action against the offenders as they deserve no leniency.