MUZAFFARGARH, May 26: The district administration has decided to start work on Mirwala Crisis Centre from June 1 and in this regard tenders to purchase furniture and other items have been called.

Talking to Dawn, EDO (Community Development) Malik Kahir Muhamamd Budh said the district government acknowledged Mukhtar Mai’s work for the welfare of women who were victims of abuse and violence and her role in getting the crisis centre and funds approved.

He said the crisis centre would be built in Mirwala at all cost.

Mukhtar Mai had resigned as the chairperson of the crisis centre on May 19.

Mr Budh said every crisis centre was run by a 12- member committee which included DCO, DPO and EDO (CD), while the remaining nine members were from local NGOs.

He said Mai was elected crisis centre head in April last year and her term expired on May 24.

He said Mai was informed regarding the expiration of her term in April, and on May 4 the Ministry of Women’s Welfare Ministry sent a letter asking the district government to hold new elections.

He said the elections for crisis centre were held all over Punjab and for the Mirwala Crisis Centre they were held on May 24. He said these polls were monitored by ministry’s representative Irfanullah.

The newly-elected chairperson of the centre, Umm-e-Kulsoom Sial, said she had asked Mukhtar Mai to work as mentor of the centre for one year and after that she would be again `made’ chairperson.

She said Mai should also encourage other women to take leading role in the management of the crisis centre.

She denied that Mai’s name was being used to promote the centre.

Mukhtar Mai said district administration’s true intentions were betrayed by the fact that following the expiration of her tenure they immediately started work on the centre.

She said if the district government wanted to build its own crisis centre in Mirwala, it should find another piece of land, adding she would not allow the government to use the facility established through her own resources.

She said her decision to resign as centre head was appreciated world over, and added she would continue her work for the development of women.

Mukhtar Mai visited the families of the girls who were killed in a wall-collapse incident at a primary school on May 4 and offered her condolences.