Ministers review operational matters of Tiger Force

LAHORE:In the light of the federal government’s directions, a meeting chaired by Provincial Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and Minister for Special Education Muhammad Ikhlaq reviewed the functioning and operational matters of Corona Relief Tiger Force in all districts of Punjab.

The meeting decided to replicate the model of Corona Relief Tiger Force set up by the federal government in Sialkot in other districts of the province.

The meeting was of attended by Punjab Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik, Senior Member Board of Revenue Babar Hayat Tarar, Additional Chief Secretary Home Momin Agha, IG Punjab Shoaib Dastgir, administrative secretaries of different departments and other officers concerned whereas divisional commissioners and regional police officers (RPOs) joined the meeting through video link.

Speaking at the meeting through video link, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Usman Dar informed the meeting about the operational matters of the Corona Relief Tiger Force. He said that volunteers of the Tiger Force would render their services in corona relief activities without any remuneration under the supervision of district administration. The meeting was told that as many as 993,226 volunteers have been registered for the Tiger Force in the country while their number is Punjab is 647,411.

Teachers, students, doctors, engineers, medical workers, lawyers, social workers and activists of all political parties are among the volunteers. The main duties of Tiger Force are to facilitate functioning of utility stores, implement SOPs at mosques, help in management of isolation/quarantine centres, identify hoarding, profiteering and deserving people in their localities and distribution of ration. The volunteers would also be given training on security, quarantine, relief, health and awareness, and duties would be assigned to them as per their qualifications and age.

A code of conduct has also been issued for the volunteers. The Tiger Force would work under the supervision of a district steering committee comprising deputy commissioner (convener), district police officer, additional deputy commissioner (revenue), all members of national assembly and notables of the area. Similar committees have also been formed at the tehsil and union council level.

The chief secretary ordered the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to benefit from the services of the volunteers through district, tehsil and union council committees. Mian Aslam Iqbal said a comprehensive strategy has been prepared to prevent hoarding and profiteering with the help of Tiger Force.

The IG asked the RPOs and DPOs to engage the volunteers in duties of security and implementation of SOPs at mosques. INP adds: Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat on Friday said that the continuous lockdown due to coronavirus was proving detrimental to the impoverished and daily wage earning segments of society.

He said that the government is cognizant of the troubles being faced by the nation especially the poor. The law minister also said that the prime minister of Pakistan and the Punjab chief minister were focusing their relief activities on the needy and poor people. Raja Basharat also lauded the efforts afoot by the federal and provincial governments to ensure ration and monetary support to deserving individuals and families. Raja Basharat added that the coronavirus was as yet in a semblance of control in the province but great caution needs to be exercised to keep it that way.