LAHORE, Oct 15: Heads and representatives of different autonomous departments and bodies in the Punjab presented on Saturday cheques of about Rs10 million to Law Minister Basharat Raja for the assistance of the earthquake victims.

The cheques were presented at a ceremony held at the Civil Secretariat, attended by Chief Secretary Salman Siddique and other senior officials.

Mr Siddique said such ceremony would be held daily at the Civil Secretariat to receive cheques from different government and semi-government departments.

The law minister said helping the quake victims was a moral, national and religious duty. By wholeheartedly helping the quake-hit people, all sections of the society had proved that they stood united in the hour of trial, he added.

He appealed to the philanthropists to continue giving donations for the victims in Azad Kashmir and the NWFP.

Earlier, the Punjab Horticulture Authority officials gave a cheque for Rs2 million, Lahore Gymkhana, Rs 2.6 million, Punjab Seed Corporation Rs1.8 million, Punjab Employees Social Security Institution, Rs1.2 million and Lahore Development Authority Rs1.1 million.

The chief secretary said the one-day salary of the Punjab government employees would be deducted and used for relief measures by the end of the month. —Staff Reporter