January 14, 2007	Sunday	Zilhaj 23, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

GUJRANWALA, Jan 13: Scores of widows and their children have been denied their monthly compensation and scholarship by the City District Government Gujranwala (CDGG) for the last three years owing to shortage of funds.

They have urged the provincial government to release funds to save them from starvation.

At a meeting held here on Saturday, a number of widows said their applications had been pending with the respective department for the last three years.

It was learnt that as many as 2,094 widows of government servants had submitted applications for grant of compensation, scholarship of their children and marriage grant for their daughters for the last three years.

But no payment was made to them owing to shortage of benevolent funds.

Last year, District Coordination Officer Manzer Hayat had demanded Rs45 million from the Punjab government for payment of compensation to widows and scholarship to their children, but the government reportedly gave Rs7.7 million so far.

When contacted, a benevolent funds officer said widows and their children would be issued cheques as soon as the Punjab government would release funds.

AMBULANCES: Punjab Health Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal on Saturday handed over as many as 17 ambulances to the district health department for emergency service.

Speaking at a ceremony held here, the minister said all medical facilities were being provided to patients at almost all government hospitals, including DHQs and THQs, under Punjab chief minister’s health sector reforms.

He said provision of free medicines and meal to patients would be started in these hospitals during the next few days.

He claimed that rural health centres were being run successfully in the division as the chief minister had already announced Rs25,000 per month salary for doctors working in remote areas.

District nazim Fiaz Ahmad Chattha, DCO Manzer Hayat, EDO (health) Dr Nisar Ahmad Cheema and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

Later, these ambulances were handed over to RHCs in Gujranwala and Hafizabad districts. It was learnt that a special grant of Rs24 million and 11 more ambulances were being provided for women health project.