MUZAFFARGARH: Under a chief minister’s package for the flood hit people of Punjab, each family will be given a one-time Rs25,000 aid before Eidul Azha.

This was announced by PML-N MPA Syed Aleem Shah, who is a member of the coordination committee on floods for Muzaffargarh.

The MPA from Dera Ghazi Khan told reporters other losses such as of property, farm and life were being assessed but their payments would be made after Eid. He did not tell about the timeline of payments.

He said that in the 2014 floods in the Chenab River, two people were killed and 117 injured in Muzaffargarh while 43,000 people had been evacuated from flooding. The number of villages under water is 361.

As the floodwater started receding from city areas like SCARP Colony, Kotalwala, Basti Balochan and houses near the DCO House, thousands of people could be seen along roads and railway line in the open sky as the district administration failed to provide them tents and food items.

Allah Ditta Jafri, a flood victim from Basti Bhatti, said hampers and tents were being given to the affected families prior to VIPs’ visits. He said he went six times to DCO office for taking tents and food items but failed to get it. On Wednesday, hundreds of people of the Doaba locality protested against administration. A few protesters told Dawn they had been waiting for food for the last two days. Noor Muhammad Bhatti saw politics behind their victimisation, saying as they had voted for PPP candidates in previous general and by-elections, the district government had overlooked in relief activities.

Bhatti was equally shocked at the indifference by the PPP leadership, saying no central or provincial leader had visited the flood-hit areas. He said former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was visiting his lost constituency thus he had reduced himself to an MNA level leader.

He said PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also chose to be mum in this hour of troubles. District Officer Coordination Karim Bukhsh said food items were being given to the people regardless of their political affiliation.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2014