PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday announced a financial assistance of Rs100 million for the Punjab families affected by torrential rains.

Provincial Chief Minister Pervez Khattak asked his principal secretary, Ishfaq Khan, to ensure immediate release of the money by the provincial finance department and the handover of the cash or commodities to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab, said a handout issued here.

According to the handout, the chief minister’s principal secretary contacted the director general of the Punjab PDMA on the directives of Pervez Khattak.

“The Punjab PDMA responded that due to widespread losses of lives and properties in various cities, Punjab is in need of shelter and food for rain victims and that all kinds of assistance in cash or kind is acceptable.”

Both NDMA and PDMA have started relief activities in all calamity-hit areas.

The release said the chief minister’s principal secretary directed the finance department and PDMA of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to comply with the directives of his boss without delay.

According to the release, the chief minister directed the home and relief departments, PDMA, and divisional and district administrations to make advance arrangements for relief keeping in view loss to public life and property due to rainstorms in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Khattak said prior measures would not only minimise the losses of public life and property but they would also fully protect people against losses and problems.

He called for keeping close and effective coordination with the Met Office and other federal government organisations to prevent damages caused by rains.

The chief minister said there was a need for prompt response and relief work on part of the local administrations in case of natural disaster in the province.

He sympathised with the calamity-hit families and prayed that the departed souls rest in peace and the injured recover.

Published in Dawn, September 06th, 2014