Orders preventive measures, faster compensation for displaced families, flood emergency plan
KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: Screengrab
PESHAWAR:
A key meeting of the Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department was held under the chairmanship of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi to review disaster preparedness, relief activities and departmental reforms.
In light of a possible global fuel crisis and provincial government austerity, the meeting was conducted online with all relevant officials participating via video link. The Chief Minister was given a detailed briefing on the department’s responsibilities, its subordinate institutions, ongoing relief operations and reform initiatives.
The meeting emphasized the need to prepare a comprehensive contingency plan ahead of the upcoming summer season due to possible cloudbursts and floods. The Chief Minister directed the authorities to ensure effective and long-term measures in vulnerable places to prevent flood damage, stressing that it is not enough to build protection walls without assessing their effectiveness.
He directed officials to review sensitive areas along rivers and take necessary measures, including cleaning of river beds where necessary, through coordination between the Minerals and Irrigation Departments. Authorities were also asked to launch an organized anti-encroachment campaign in riverbeds and in major cities immediately after Ramazan to minimize potential damage during natural calamities.
The meeting also reviewed the process of compensation payments to Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) in various districts. The chief minister directed officials to expedite payments, assess the needs of other affected districts and provide details of resources required to address any shortfalls. He assured that the provincial government would ensure the availability of the necessary funds to compensate the victims.
The participants also discussed the proposal to establish warehouses at the regional level. The Chief Minister agreed with the proposal and directed that warehouses should be set up at the Divisional Headquarters at central locations to ensure timely response to emergencies. He also gave in-principle approval for resources required for compensation payments and ongoing relief activities.
The meeting further directed the development of a comprehensive digital dashboard for effective monitoring of human resources and departmental assets along with the gradual digitization of departmental affairs. The Chief Minister directed officials to review the dashboard on a daily basis to avoid delays in emergencies.
Regarding improvements in rescue preparedness, the meeting was informed that recruitment for 1,326 positions in Rescue 1122 is underway in the first phase. The chief minister directed that the recruitment process should be completed at the earliest and agreed to the creation of additional 1,125 posts in the second phase. Officials were also directed to raise funds for procurement of medical motorcycles for rescue services and prepare a comprehensive plan to supply them to all divisional headquarters.
The proposal to establish civil defense offices throughout the province was also discussed. It was decided that additional premises would be built at existing rescue centers to house the civil defense offices, ensuring efficient use of time and resources.
