RAWALPINDI, Dec 31: The city district government on Saturday announced that it would sponsor 500 quake-affected families under the Punjab chief minister’s “Support A Family” programme.

Talking to the trained volunteers of the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) who left for Muzaffarabad on Saturday, City District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas said Rawalpindi was the base for relief operations, adding that the city had so far sent 700 trucks-load of relief items, 30,000 blankets and medical teams to the affected areas.

He said the city government had accommodated about 1,700 quake survivors in various tented villages.

The nazim said the city and its people had donated Rs21 million to the President’s Relief Fund. He directed all the tehsil and town nazims to actively participate in the look after of the 500 families.

Speaking on the occasion Tevta Secretary Nadeem Ashraf said 85 teams of volunteers from 400 technical institutions of the Punjab had been sent to the quake-ravaged areas so far. He said Tevta volunteers were performing duties with great passion.

The function was attended by DCO Hamid Ali Khan, Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Nasir Raja, Rawal and Potohar Town nazims and all the UC nazims of the city.