From Abid Usman
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday asserted that her government had neither complained nor sought help from anyone for assisting flood-affected citizens, noting that Punjab would handle the crisis through its own resources.
“I did not stretch my hands before anyone. I have protected the self-respect of Punjab’s people,” she said in an apparent reference to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s appeal to Centre for seeking international assistance for flood victims.
Earlier in September, the PPP chief criticised the “delay” in initiating this process, which was “beyond comprehension”.
“This is standard practice for disasters of this scale internationally. It was done for the last floods when I was the foreign minister, before that, the 2010 floods and the 2005 earthquake. Countries all over the world do the same within the first 72 hours of such disasters.”
The two key allies were engaged in a searing war of words, which began over flood compensation through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
However, the verbal bicker subsided after PML-N scrambled a delegation comprising DPM Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who met President Asif Ali Zardari in Nawabshah.
Addressing a ceremony in Okara to distribute flood cards among victim, the chief minister announced the formal launch of the rehabilitation process for affected families.
“Today marks the beginning of the recovery phase for flood victims,” she said, adding that 70% of the survey has been completed and that the government would not rest until every affected household was fairly assessed.
Maryam said that cheque distribution has started across 15 districts, with Rs100 billion allocated for flood relief. “No one other than the victims will receive a single rupee,” she said, adding that all routes to corruption have been sealed.
The chief minister noted that families who lost their homes entirely are receiving Rs1 million, while those with partially damaged houses are being paid Rs500,000. Families of deceased victims are also receiving Rs1 million, while farmers are being compensated Rs20,000 per acre for crop losses.
She added that mobile hospitals for people and animals were deployed, and 1,700 rescue teams were formed before floodwaters receded. “I personally took an oath from 10,000 workers to serve with honesty,” she noted.
Maryam announced that 72 camps have been established and that 71,000 bank accounts for flood victims have been opened. Victims are receiving Rs50,000 in cash from counters, while up to Rs300,000 can be withdrawn daily via ATM cards.
She emphasised that there will be no discrimination among cities, adding that relief camps across Punjab would operate with the same facilities.
