Flood victims to get new houses free of cost, says Shahbaz,

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* CM tells Defence minister his govt working on a comprehensive rehabilitation plan

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Defence Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar met Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and exchanged views with him on matters of mutual interest on Sunday.

Shahbaz informed the defence minister about relief activities after floods in the province. Shahbaz said the floods had washed away hundreds of thousands of houses, destroyed crops and infrastructure worth billions of rupees in these areas and from the very first day all related departments of the Punjab government were busy providing relief to flood victims, he added.

The chief minister said that after the rescue and relief process, now it is time to rehabilitate them. He said the Punjab government was working on a rehabilitation programme and distributing relief money under the Watan Card scheme in a transparent manner.

He said that philanthropists, welfare organisations, elected members and the police fully participated in relief activities for flood victims and now they were taking part in their rehabilitation as well. Shahbaz said the floods had washed away many villages and the Punjab government was setting up modern villages for them and assured the defence minister that the victims would be given new houses free of cost and the villages would be equipped with modern facilities.