FAISALABAD   -  Seven more patients died of COVID-19 in the district while 79 people tested positive during the last 24 hours. 

A spokesperson for the health department said on Friday, the death toll reached 552 in the district and 1,227 tests were conducted in public and private sectors labs. He said, so far 8,634 patients had recovered from the disease while total active cases in Faisalabad reached 1,323. He said, 550 beds were allocated at the Allied Hospital and 85 at the DHQ Hospital as 142 patients, including 70 confirmed, were under treatment at the Allied while 39, including nine confirmed, were admitted to the DHQ Hospital.

Anti-dengue measures being monitored

A meeting of District Emergency Response Committee for anti-dengue was held at the DC’s office which was presided over by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali.  ADCG Khurram Pervaiz, District Coordinator Epidemics Control Dr Muhammad  Zulqarnain and other officers from different departments attended the meeting.  The deputy commissioner directed the assistant commissioners for holding Tehsil Emergency Response Committee meeting on weekly basis and review the performance of departments in connection with anti-dengue measures.

Factory gutted

The valuables were reduced to ashes when a fire broke out in a textile factory  in Sargodha Road police limits here on Friday.  A police spokesman said the fire erupted in a godown of the textile factory of Aslam due to a short circuit in which precious material burnt. On information, Rescue 1122 reached the spot and brought the fire under control. However, no loss of life was reported in the incident. 

Meanwhile, a fire also erupted in a processing unit of another textile mill of Shafiq Gujjar on Sitiana Road which damaged machinery. The Rescue 1122 extinguished the fire. The police also reached the spot and started investigation.

12 arrested for gas decanting

The police on Friday claimed to have arrested 12 shopkeepers for illegal gas decanting and selling petrol.  A police spokesman said the accused were identified as Munawar Hussain, Waqas, Muhammad Iqbal, Nawaz, Nisar Ahmad, Mudassar Jameel and Dilawar Hussain of Sammundri Road, Tariq Jameel of Railway Road, Ammad Ali of Chak No 39-GB, Maqbool Ahmad of Sani Road, Sohaib Akram and Muzammal of Maqbool Road. 130,000 complaints disposed off last year: Federal ombudsman

The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat received 133,500 complaints against various departments of Federal government last year and disposed off 130,000 of those till year-end.

This was stated by Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Ali Shahbaz while talking to the media at Regional Office of Federal Ombudsman in Faisalabad on Friday. 

He said that the Federal ombudsman was taking immediate action after receiving any complaint against federal departments and the complainant was provided relief within minimum possible time. 

He further said that 84 percent more complaints were received during 2020 than in the year 2019. Similarly, disposal ratio was also 75 percent more during 2020 than that in year 2019.

He told that 97 percent complaints received last year were disposed off while work had also been accelerated to redress the remaining complaints at the earliest.

There is a mobile App, an e-mail and website available for filing complaints whereas the complaints can also be lodged in the offices of Federal Ombudsman for which no lawyer is required. He said that the Federal Ombudsman was redressing the public grievances and complaints within 60 days after their receipt. His advisers were also working to redress the grievances by visiting remote districts and Tehsils under outreach programme, he added. 

The Federal Ombudsman said that 177 departments had already set up their own complaints system. “Initially, we observe complaints lodged in various departments for 30 days and if for some reason the matter is not resolved, then the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat becomes active for redress of the complaints,” he added. 

He said that Office of Federal Ombudsman was also working for reforms in prisons on the direction of Supreme Court of Pakistan and its implementation report was submitted to the Supreme Court after every three months and so far 8 reports in this regard had been submitted to the court. 

He told that Regional Office of Federal Ombudsman Faisalabad took action against federal departments of seven districts including Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Sargodha, Khushab and Sahiwal. During the first three months of current year, Federal Ombudsman’s Regional Office Faisalabad received 2,155 complaints and 1,479 of those were disposed off, and 200 were rejected for being irrelevant and inappropriate. 

He said that 457 applications were received in January, 746 in February and 181 in March. Out of those, 535 were under progress while remaining complaints were disposed off.