QUETTA, Feb 17: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf has said that his government would not allow anybody to derive political mileage out of the flood situation in the province.
Speaking to tribal notables, PML workers and the flood-affected people in Turbat on Thursday, he said the provincial government was fully alive to its responsibilities regarding rehabilitation of the flood-stricken people.
He said political parties claiming themselves to be true representative of people should practically take part in the relief effort instead of criticizing the government.
He said the situation created by rain and floods had exposed the people wanting to use the occasion to promote their narrow agenda. The people now have a fair idea who their well-wishers are, he added.
"The Balochistan people acknowledge the constructive role played by the government, particularly the army, with respect to relief activities," he said. He assured the flood-hit people that relief operation would continue till their complete rehabilitation.
Earlier, he distributed compensation cheques among the legal heirs of the people killed during recent rain and floods in the Kechh district. They included relatives of the 32 passengers of a bus which had been swept away by flash-floods near Turbat.
Commandant Mekran Scouts Col Abdul Hannan briefed the CM on the damage caused by rain and floods in the district. He said 35 people were killed and people's homes and crops suffered damages in 38 villages.
Four teams of FC along with the civil administration are engaged in a joint relief effort in the district. Army helicopters are helping in the provision of relief supplies to the affected people, he said.
Those rendered homeless have been provided provisional accommodation, he said, adding that a medical camp had also been established to provide treatment to the affected people.
"Steps are also being taken to check the outbreak of epidemic," he added. The flash-floods have caused serious damages to the water supply schemes, which needed to be restored immediately, he said. More tents, blankets, warm clothes and medicine were required, he added.
Jam Yousaf assured that the required goods would soon be delivered from Quetta while steps would be taken for rehabilitating the water supply schemes. He directed the health department to dispatch more medical teams and essential medicines to the flood-hit areas. He praised the act of Mekran Scouts personnel of depositing their one-day salary in the relief fund.
The CM also visited the Awaran district to assess the rain losses. He was informed that a number of houses had been destroyed and crops badly affected in Mushkey, Jhao and Awaran tehsils.
