Govt to ensure perfect flood fighting: Basharat

LAHORE : Minster for Law, Parliamentary Affairs & Local Government Raja Basharat Thursday said the Punjab government would ensure infallible flood-fighting arrangements during the upcoming monsoon season. He was presiding over a meeting at 8-Club Road to review the flood fighting arrangements in Punjab.

The divisional commissioners other than Lahore attended and briefed the meeting through video conferencing.

He directed all line departments and district administrations in Punjab to remain alert to fight the anticipated floods and rains during the monsoon season. Raja Basharat said Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar wanted all departments to make foolproof arrangements for dealing with any flood-like situation during the upcoming rainy season.

He said: "All departments should finalise their flood-fighting plans immediately, remove the shortcomings found in their plans and share them with the other departments by keeping close and continuous liaison with each other. "The departments were required to pay special attention to the identified areas, particularly local governments were directed to keep an eye on the dangerous torrent streams existing in the district of Sailkot, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and other arid areas. Raja Basharat warned the provincial, district and tehsil offices to remain alert throughout the monsoon season as no negligence would be permitted.

The departments of Irrigation, Revenue, Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Agriculture, Home, Education and Health presented their flood-fighting plans in the meeting.

human rights: Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Ijaz Alam Augustine has said that human rights are not an optional matter rather these are of compulsory nature which one cannot opt to ignore. He said there was a dire need to incorporate this important issue as a necessary subject in syllabi of schools and colleges in order to equip our next generation with basic human rights.

The minister expressed these views while addressing the participants of an event titled “Prioritisation of ending gender based violence” organised by a local NGO.