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Sunday, 16 September, 2012
CM constitutes flood rehabilitation committee under Sanaullah g
Committee will carry out survey, look into waiving bills and other facilities for the victims LAHORE
P
StAff REPoRt
UnJAB Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has constituted a 14-member committee headed by Provincial Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah for assessing the financial and human losses due to rains in Bahawalpur and DG khan Divisions. The committee will submit its recommendations within a week to the CM and financial assistance and rehabilitation of the affectees would be carried out per the recommendations of the committee. Per reports, the committee will also looking into reducing and waiving of Agri-income tax, water bill(s) and Abiyana.
First meeting of this committee was held on Saturday under the chairmanship of Sanaulalh at Punjab Assembly. The members of the committee were told that a comprehensive survey of flood stricken areas of Rajanpur and DG khan will be carried out and information regarding losses at urban and rural levels will be compiled. The committee will formulate separate reports on rural and urban areas. Federal government would also be approached to complete the kachi Canal project at DG khan as the contractors had created hurdles in the flow of water in DG Canal by constructing small dams and relief activities in flood-hit areas would be carried out. 63,770 ration packs, 35 thousand rice bags of 20-kg each, 37 thousand wheat bags, seven thousand tents and 45 thousand bottles of mineral water have been distributed in DG khan. Mobile
dispensaries were providing medical treatment and medicines to the affectees, the committee members said.
‘Khadim-e-Aala Sahab we are humans too!’ g
Teachers refuse go to school, colleges on Sunday for dengue LAHORE StA ff REP o Rt
Punjab Teachers Unions and Punjab Schools Staff Association declined to work on Sundays. Per details, the representatives of the unions said that teachers would not go to schools on Sundays to campaign against dengue. They added that if government were to take action against any educationalist, teachers would boycott from schools throughout the province. They said that barring from a holiday on Sunday was against all laws and the provincial government was behaving like a college gang. “We cannot work seven days a week. it is inhuman. We need rest too. it is the Health Department’s job to fight dengue, not the teachers. We are forced to go for walks and to distribute pamphlets in houses. nations which do not respect their teachers cannot make any progress,” said Afia Majeed, a college professor. “For the past 2 weeks we have
not been getting our holiday on Sunday. The government does not pay us for working these extra days. Why should we show up?” said Farhanda Dogar, a lecturer. “There are many female professors who are made to come on Sundays. How are they supposed to look after their homes if they will spend their entire week in their schools and colleges? This decision is ridiculous and we refuse to abide by it now,” iqbal Ahmed, a school teacher, said. “There is a limit to our patience and things have crossed it now. The government cannot force us to work on Sundays against our will. The humidity is so high and just to achieve political leverage, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is using us for his fake show of strength,” said Gul-e-Rana Asghar, a political science professor, adding “Sharif brothers always destroy the Education and Health departments when they come to power. We are never voting for them again.”
WEAK PoINt: tempers remained high over the blasphemous video made by an American that mocked very basic Muslim beliefs. STAff PhOTO
12-year-old girl saved from marrying a 45-year-old man
Punjab govt whips its rod out for factories in residential areas Environment Dept to take action against all owners without discrimination, workers to be enrolled in fire safety programs g
Fire and brimstone in Azam Cloth Market! LAHORE StAff REPoRt
10 shops and a storage room inside the three-storey Azam Cloth Market located in Umar Block of the Allama iqbal Town have been gutted down by flames on Saturday after fire broke out in the shop due to short circuiting of electricity connection. Fire engulfed the ground floor and the first floor of the market, and the entire stock inside the market was reduced to ashes. Police sources have estimated the
losses in the millions. The owner of the burnt shop Zahid khan said that he lost Rs 50 lakhs worth of garments in the inferno. Other shopkeepers cried after witnessing their goods burning in the fire. The fire broke out at 6:25 a.m. and was successfully brought under control by rescue fire fighting teams after a long battle which lasted for three hours. it is worth mentioning here that the quick response by the rescue teams saved 500 shops from being destroyed in the incident.
LAHORE StAff REPoRt
LAHORE: An attempt to marry off a 12 year old girl to a 45 year old man in the Misri Shah area was foiled by the police. A woman, Tasmiya kausar, had agreed to marry off her 12 years old daughter, Farzana to a 45-year- old rickshaw driver. The neighbors reported the incident to the police which raided the place and arrested the culprits on the spot. The relatives of the girl said the mother took money from the man to marry off her daughter to him. On the other hand, the mother of the girl denied the accusations and said that she had not committed a crime. She said she did not take any money from anyone. StAff REPoRt
On the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, a high level meeting was presided over by Member national Assembly (MnA) and institutional Reforms Group Chairman Ahsan iqbal regarding safety of industrial plants and factories. it was decided that the Environmental Department will take action against factories operating in urban areas without discrimination. A provisional plan to relocate all factories out of residential areas was also agreed upon. it was also agreed that factories would not be registered till the relevant departments give nOC on the safety measures adopted. The secretaries of labour, industries and environmental departments were directed to submit recommendations for protection of workers
and labourers within two days. Addressing the meeting, iqbal said that Punjab government wanted to ensure foolproof implementation of safety laws in factories and industrial zones. He said that workers should be enrolled in fire fighting crash courses. He also advocated mandating fire extinguishers in all factories and commercial offices. He also sought proposals from officebearers of chambers of commerce and stressed upon them to work in cohort with the government for ensuring implementation of existing laws. Office-bearers of Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot Chambers of Commerce & representatives of Labour Organization, Secretaries of labour, environment and industries departments, Commissioner Lahore Division, Director General 1122 and other provincial officers attended the meeting.