Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said the Punjab government will provide free seeds and fertilisers to the affected farmers (having up to 25 acres of land) from October 15, which will cost the provincial kitty Rs 8 billion.
The chief minister further said the process of distribution of relief assistance among the flood-hit people through Watan Cards would be completed during the current month. He was addressing a meeting of provincial parliamentary party of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz here on Tuesday.
Senior Advisor, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Provincial Law Minister, Rana Sanaullah, Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood of Muslim League-Functional, Noor Haider Niazi of Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal and Dr Tahir Ali Javed of Unification Group were also present on the occasion.
He said flood has awakened the whole nation and there is a need for displaying the same spirit of sacrifice for national progress and prosperity, as has been displayed for the relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake victims.
The chief minister said the meeting of parliamentary party was being held at a time when the country was facing large-scale flood devastation. Providing timely help and assistance to the flood-hit people is not politics but it is service to distressed humanity and no effort should be spared in this regard.
Elected representatives, administration, police, welfare organisations, philanthropists and Pakistan Army played a commendable role for the rescue and relief of the flood victims and in saving human lives during the calamity.
The Punjab government diverted all its resources towards rescue and relief of the flood victims since the beginning of the flood and motivated the marooned people to shift to tent villages set up by the government. The provincial government also took measures on emergent basis for the provision of immediate relief and succor in tent villages as well as the flood-hit people who had taken refuge on hillocks and other safer places.