Chief Minister Usman Buzdar approves motorbike ambulance in Punjab

LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has given approval to launch motorbike ambulance service in all districts of the province in phases.

An approval in this regard was given in the 20th meeting of Punjab Emergency Council here on Wednesday in which procurement of new ambulances was also approved. The chief minister directed for taking immediate steps to overcome the shortage of ambulances in rescue emergency services.

Principle approval of granting special stipends to rescuers during their training in emergency services academy was also given. Appointment of Dr Rizwan Naseer as DG Punjab Emergency Services Academy was given approval and till the appointment of the new DG, the additional charge will remain with Dr Rizwan Naseer.

The chief minister also directed for early launching of rescue 1122 at tehsil level. The meeting reviewed different matters pertaining to rescuers’ employment including proposals of providing financial aid and insurance of rescuers who died during service. Giving approval of providing financial aid to the rescuers, the matter was linked with the consent of finance and regulations departments. A special committee constituted under the chair of law minister Raja Basharat will submit final recommendations in this regard.

Speaking on the occasion, Usman Buzdar said implementation of safety code in the construction of high-rise buildings should be ensured along with the formulation of a foolproof system of patients’ shifting.

SOPs should be immediately devised and unnecessary delay in purchase of ambulances and other types of equipment should be eliminated, he added. The meeting reviewed starting community safety programme for students on the pattern of NCC and it was also decided to hold the meeting of Punjab Emergency Council every month.-Meanwhile, Usman Buzdar has given DG Khan division the status of a separate region of prisons department.

On the direction of the chief minister, District Jails of Rajanpur, Layyah and Muzaffargarh, along with Central Jail DG Khan, had been included in the new region, said a handout issued here. Five regions of the prisons department were functional in Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal and Multan.

An amount of Rs600 million would be spent on repair and maintenance of various jails while new jails were being constructed in Rawalpindi, Khushab, Chakwal, Chiniot and Nankana Sahib with Rs500 million.

The district jail had been constructed in Lodhran while high-security prisons project had been completed in Mianwali at a cost of Rs900 million. Water-filtration plants had also been installed in 34 jails besides the construction of watch-towers for monitoring of jails.

Punjab Safe City (PSC) project will be launched in Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa under annual development programme instead of public-private partnership mode. It was decided in a meeting of Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA) presided over by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar at his office. The meeting decided to link Lahore Ring Road with safe cities project for the installation of CCTV cameras. Release of funds for dealing with operational matters of Lahore Safe City project was also approved. The chief minister directed for devising a business model for revenue generation along with the direction for early completion of CCTV cameras’ installation in Chunian Tehsil. He said all the matters should be dealt in accordance with law and different options should be reviewed for starting safe cities project in other districts, he added. The scope of the project was being extended to other districts as it was playing an important role in improving law and order and eradication of crime, the chief minister said.

The PSCA officials briefed the meeting that PC-I was approved and the pre-qualification process had been started for launching the project in DG Khan and Taunsa. Meanwhile, the scope of Lahore Safe City project had been expanded to Shahdara Chowk and latest cameras had been installed at Thokar Niaz Baig while cameras’ installation was in process at other entry and exit points of the provincial metropolis. Ministers Raja Basharat, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hashim Jawan Bakht, MPA Sumera Ahmed, the IG Police, chairman P&D, provincial secretaries and others attended the meeting.

CONDOLENCES: Usman Buzdar condoled the death of the mother of Atif Ayub Mayo, secretary general Punjab Housing Taskforce. In a condolence message, Usman Buzdar extended sympathies to the bereaved family and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in peace

PRINCIPAL SECRETARY: Provincial Secretary Communications & Works Tahir Khurshid assumed the additional charge of the principal secretary to the CM. He is a grade-21 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service and will perform additional duty in absence of Dr Muhammad Shoaib Akbar who was on 15-day ex-Pakistan leave, said a handout issued here on Wednesday.