LAHORE, Oct 21: Punjab will establish two tent cities in the province to shelter earthquake victims, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi announced on Friday. He was speaking at a news conference after his arrival following a 15-day stay in England and the US. Ministers Gul Hameed Khan Rokhri, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin and Dr Tahir Javed and senior officials were also present on the occasion.

He said the province was ahead of the rest in relief measures and would unveil a mega project for the rehabilitation of the affected people in four days.

The chief minister said the Punjab had so far sent assistance worth Rs 1.05 billion in cash and kind. The ruling party too had sent 210 truckloads besides establishing a camp near Muzaffargarh.

Giving a breakup of the relief, the chief minister said Rs50 million each had been given to the Azad Kashmir and NWFP governments and Rs100 million to the President’s Relief Fund. “My personal helicopter evacuated 250 seriously injured from Mansehra and supplied relief goods there. It was the first to fly there on my orders.”

During the past 14 days, he said, 4,000 truckloads of relief goods worth Rs850 million had been sent to the affected areas. The goods included food worth Rs240 million, blankets Rs290 million, tents Rs165 million and medicines Rs100 million. Around Rs60 million were spent for transporting these goods to the affected areas.

He said in addition to this, the province made arrangements to receive and treat 13,000 patients from the affected areas in its hospitals. So far it had treated 7,000 patients, 14,21 were still under treatment. More patients were arriving. Arrangements too had been made to provide shelter, security and food to around 600 attendants.

He said the province had established 91 operation theatres in the affected areas, sent 75,000 vials of anti-tetanus vaccines and 28 ambulances there. A large number of nurses and 40 special teams comprising 240 doctors and para-medical staff were performing duty in the affected areas.

The chief minister said fumigation teams were working in the mountains where two field hospitals would soon be established. The province was also meeting all demands of blood supply. The Mansehra DHQ hospital was being manned by doctors and para-medical staff from the Punjab.

He said the province had sent administrative officers to Azad Kashmir upon a request by it and the federal government in view of the destruction of administrative structure there. Around 640 policemen too were working there.

The chief minister said the provincial government was in a direct contact with the federal government and relief sector heads and sending assistance on demand. “We have now been asked to slow down food supplies and send blankets and tents which we are doing,” he said.

He said to fulfil another demand, orders had been placed for stoves which would be sent along with utensils for 40,000 families.

The chief minister appealed to the people to donate blankets and quilts besides depositing their cash donations with the president’s relief fund to avoid their misuse by private people.

He said the province was ready to host maximum number of affected people. It was establishing two tent cities in Chakwal and Fateh Jang in Attock district for the purpose. Those staying there would be given all facilities.

His government, he said, too was ready to protect orphan and destitute children through its child protection bureau. “We are ready to give them shelter, food and protection till the location of their parents or relatives,” he said.

Replying to questions, the chief minister said 24 people had died (in the earthquake) in the Punjab and the government had paid compensation to their heirs before their burial. It would soon start paying Rs 20,000 each to the owners of 400 damaged houses.

Pervaiz appealed to the people to avoid sending relief goods to the affected areas independently and better consult the government to know what was needed there. It was more important to ensure the distribution of the goods among the affected and this could be done only through the government and army.

Answering a question why he didn’t return at the earliest in wake of the national tragedy, the chief minister said he remained in constant touch with the administration from abroad with regard to the provision of assistance. “Why don’t you talk of those who are sitting abroad for the last 12 years. No-one could send the relief (from the Punjab) without my permission which I gave while sitting abroad because of my concern for the affected people,” he said.

The chief minister took exception to a question that the cabinet ministers remained inactive in his absence and said the communication and health ministers had visited the affected areas several times. “The electronic media did not give proper coverage to our efforts,” he complained.

He said PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was daily visiting the affected areas and he too planned to go there after Sunday. Pervaiz said the government had already started surveying the vulnerable buildings in the province, immediately banning the construction of high-rise structures in Murree.

Instructions, he said, had also been issued to frame building safety laws for every district, especially those close to the earthquake zone like Rawalpindi and Jhelum. “We are consulting experts in Japan and Dubai to construct buildings that could withstand tremors,” he said.