April 19, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 01, 1428

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RAWALPINDI, April 18: Over Rs7.5 million fund allocated for the fire brigade department in the 2006-07 budget remained unutilised while a month earlier over 100 shops were gutted in a market fire close to the ill-equipped fire station.

It may be noted that about Rs100 million uplift fund allocated for Rawalpindi in 2005-06 budget had remained unspent which indicates that the authorities concerned were indifferent towards the development of the city.

Official sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the unutilised fund had been set aside for purchase of vehicles, breathing apparatus, masks, gloves and other necessary kits for the department as it was in dire need of basic fire-fighting equipment.

The recent fire in Moti Bazaar burnt to ashes some 100 shops after the ill-equipped fire department of the city failed to extinguish the flames. Finally, the fire department of Capital Development Authority (CDA) came to the rescue of the city district government. The affected shop owners have not yet been paid compensation.

City Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas and Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had pledged to modernise the department after the fire; however, so far no steps have been taken in this regard.

Sources said the fire department had only 11 vehicles and that too were in a miserable condition while the desired number of vans was 20. They said there were only two fire fighters for handling any emergency in the entire district.