BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122 will soon launch motorbike ambulance service in the division.

This was stated by Divisional Emergency Officer Dr Asif Rahim Channar on Friday.

He told Dawn that the service would be launched with an initial fleet of 50 motorcycles, to be manufactured locally based on the structure of 10 motorcycles provided to the Punjab Emergency Service by the Scottish government.

He said the motorbike ambulances would be provided with modern emergency kits and all necessary lifesaving emergency equipment and accessories. These ambulances would support Rescue 1122 where access to victims through routine ambulances was not possible due to narrow passages, rush, crowding and traffic jams.

He said the Punjab government would recruit special staff for the motorbike ambulances.

DEA: The newly created District Education Authority (DEA) at each district headquarters will be headed by its respective district chairman who will be a politician, while its chief executive officers (CEO) will be hired from the private sector.

Dawn learnt that deputy commissioners in each district had been temporarily appointed as DEA administrators, while former education executive district officers (EDOs) asked to hold the powers of CEOs for now.

Talking to Dawn, former Bahawalpur EDO (Education) Chaudhry Bashir Ahmed said the government had for the time being appointed him as the CEO of the DEA and he would be replaced by the new one to be appointed from the private sector on a salary to the tune of Rs300,000.

The chairmen of DEAs will be nominated by the government -- preferably the chief minister -- in due course of time.

MISUSE: During the period when local bodies were non-functional here, officials from other government departments made hay, as they not only occupied official residences attached to the district council, but also their vehicles.

But now, with the revival of local bodies, Chairman Sheikh Dilshad Ahmed Qureshi has taken serious notice and begun to have the official residences vacated and withdraw deputy commissioners’ vehicles in possession of other government departments.

Currently, 15 people had occupied the deputy commissioner’s residence, while its vehicles were being used by departments of fisheries, health and highways.

Talking to Dawn, District Council Chief Officer Arshad Ghumman said notices had been issued to the officials concerned to vacate the residence and return vehicles.

The fisheries department had returned the vehicle while the health department had assured of returning it. Heavy machinery would also be withdrawn from the highway department.

He added that after the devolution of government departments in 2001, the district council’s assets had been distributed among the departments under government’s instructions.

Published in Dawn January 21st, 2017