OKARA; Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday formally launched a large-scale flood rehabilitation initiative, announcing that approximately Rs100 billion will be distributed among those affected by the recent floods across the province.
Speaking at a distribution camp set up in Dipalpur, Okara, the CM handed out the first cheques and inaugurated the issuance of relief cards to affected families.
These cards will allow victims to receive assistance without having to stand in long queues — a measure announced by the Punjab government last month.
Maryam emphasised that the entire programme was funded through Punjab’s own financial resources.
“I did not ask the rest of the world for help. I didn’t seek assistance from anyone,” she said, stressing that the decision aimed to protect the self-respect of the province’s people.
She highlighted that 70% of the comprehensive damage assessment survey — described as the largest and most transparent in Punjab’s history — has been completed.
Following the partial assessment, the government has begun distributing compensation in 15 districts: Okara, Jhang, Multan, Bahawalpur, Nankana, Muzaffargarh, Sahiwal, Lodhran, Bahawalnagar, Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Kasur, Narowal, and Gujranwala.
Maryam assured that the allocated Rs100bn fund would exclusively benefit flood victims, declaring that “all channels of corruption have been blocked.”
