Drought victims not getting promised aid
The Dawn, By Our Correspondent
11/24/2002

GUJRAT, Nov 23: Residents of drought-hit localities in Gujrat, Kharian and Serai Alamgir Tehsils say they are being denied the aid they have been promised by the government because of district administrators' discriminatory distribution of wheat.

The district administration plans to distribute about 16,430 bags of wheat among drought-affected residents. Each family is to get a 100kg bag of wheat under the plan. However, drought victims alleged that some politicians had deprived them of their due share with the help of corrupt administrative officials by giving them bags containing 70kg of substandard wheat mixed with 30kg of sand.

Millat Party district president Chaudhry Imtiaz said officials of the food and revenue department had added to the miseries of drought victims. About 10 councillors of Serai Alamgir had distributed 444 wheat bags among their favourite supporters instead of the needy.

Inside sources told Dawn that officials of the food and revenue departments had stolen 30kg of wheat from each bag while some politicians with the help of the administration had distributed the aid among their supporters instead of drought victims. They urged the Punjab governor to take punitive action against those responsible.

http://www.dawn.com/2002/11/24/nat8.htm