CM Usman Buzdar orders steps to check Covid-19, locust attack

LAHORE:Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar visited Rahim Yar Khan, Rojhan, Garhi Chakar, Mirpur Mathelo on Thursday. At the first leg of his tour, the chief minister chaired a meeting at Rahim Yar Khan airport where he was briefed by Bahawalpur Commissioner about anti-locust drive and coronavirus situation.

The chief minister directed to work hard to save crops from locust attack and strict compliance of anti-coronavirus SOPs. The markets and commercial areas will be sealed in case of SOPs’ violations, he warned and added that he was visiting different districts and timely decisions were taken. The people should follow government SOPs and legal action will be initiated against individuals and business entities in case of non-compliance, he said.

The chief minister was told that out of 8,598 suspected coronavirus patients, 752 were tested positive while 370 had been recovered in Bahawalpur region. Three field hospitals of 505-bed capacity have been established. A total of 3,507 have been tested in Bahawalpur. Similarly, anti-dengue measures have also been taken along with an effective locust surveillance mechanism in Bahawalpur; 95,535 hectares area has been sprayed and two planes along with more than 50 vehicles are being utilised to curb the locust attack. More than one crore acres land is under surveillance in Bahawalpur Division and experts are hired to control locust attack.

Meanwhile, 6,666 metric ton wheat has been recovered by registering 118 FIRs against anti-social elements involved in the hoarding of wheat. A sum of Rs7.5 billion was distributed among more than 625,000 needy families in Bahawalpur under Ehsaas Cash Emergency Programme. The meeting offered Fateha for father of Javed Iqbal Warraich, MNA and son of Aamer Nawaz Chandia. Assembly members from Rahim Yar Khan, SMBR, RPO Bahawalpur, DC and DPO Rahim Yar Khan, DG PDMA and others attended the meeting.

The chief minister also visited the residence of Sardar Shamsher Ali Mazari in Rojhan Tehsil of Rajanpur District to express condolences over the murder of his brother, former MPA Sardar Atif Mazari. He offered Fateha for the departed soul and said that late Sardar Atif Mazari was a kindhearted and genuine politician of the area.

Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, Adviser Hanif Pitafi, Sardar Ahmed Ali Daresh MPA and notables of the area were also present on this occasion.

Afterwards, Usman Buzdar visited Garhi Chakar Mirpur Mathelo in Sindh Province and condoled with Sardar Rahim Bakhsh Buzdar over the death of his mother at his residence. He offered Fateha for the departed soul and met with the locals of the area. The chief minister invited them to visit Punjab. I have visited Balochistan and today, I am present in Sindh Province with a message of brotherhood and unity, he stated and added that we are interlinked with each other and our joys and sorrows are common. I will also visit KP to promote interprovincial harmony, the CM announced. Usman Buzdar reiterated that promotion of backward areas was his top priority adding that unprecedented steps had been taken by the government to remove the deprivations of southern Punjab. Steps are being taken for the establishment of Southern Punjab Secretariat and it will be made functional soon, he said. Additional Chief Secretary and Additional IG will be posted in Bahawalpur and Multan and the people of Southern Punjab will not have to visit Lahore for the solution of their problems, he concluded. The tribal elders stated that dwellers of southern Punjab had been granted their rights in the tenure of the incumbent government and Usman Buzdar has got completed tremendous development projects in a short period of two years. We want that our areas are developed on the same pattern, they added.