CABINET SUSPENDS THURSDAY WORK AT MINISTRIES, SCHOOLS

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Assembly nod to panel on rain deluge – MPs stress importance of infrastructure

Kuwait on Wednesday experienced light to moderate rainfall that led to low visibility in some areas

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 14: The National Assembly on Wednesday gave the thumbs up to a proposal to set up a three-member committee to look into the aftershock of lingering rainy weather conditions in Kuwait.

The parliamentary committee is expected to submit a relevant report to the legislature within a couple of months’ time. Addressing a parliamentary session held especially to consider the reflections of ongoing weather conditions, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah hoped that an impartial, specialized and non-parliamentary panel would be formed for the purpose. “Should you really seek to arrive at a result, an unbiased, specialized and non-parliamentary committee ought to be set up,” he opined.

The minister cited a similar judicial probe committee set up by the government to look into the rain ramifications, urging the Parliament to follow suit. In continuation of Tuesday’s discussion on the crisis, MPs voiced similar demands – to take into account the reports of technical and investigation committees and then hold those in charge responsible, whether governmental officials or contractors.

They also stressed the importance of developing the infrastructure, especially in the new areas – in addition to the establishment of a crisis management authority to implement an effective action plan. Looking into the history of heavy rainfall in the country, this calls to mind the thumping 300 millimeter rainfall in 1934 while it rained steadily for 12 days in 1954. In 1993, a heavy rainstorm destroyed houses and some houses in Jahra collapsed.

The highest amount of rainfall recorded in 1997 was 65 millimeters and 42 millimeters in 2009. During deliberations on the crisis Wednesday, MP  Yousef Al-Fadala asserted, “We are the only country that does not benefit from past experiences,” considering the country witnessed heavy rainfall several times in the past.

MP Ahmed Al-Fadel disclosed the report of the Public Utilities Committee on the flood consists of 244 pages, but its composition is like Lego as the recommendations are repeated and conflicting.

MPs kept on bombarding the session hall with demands and clarifications but the government did not present anything, particularly regarding the construction and maintenance contracts as the concerned committees have yet to conclude their investigations.

As a result, the Assembly ended the session with referral of the Public Utilities Committee’s report on loose gravel in highways to the Anti-Corruption Authority. It also formed a subcommittee for investigation into the flood crisis with MPs Al-Humaidi Al-Subaii, Khaled Al- Otaibi and Adel Al-Damkhi as members.

The subcommittee has been instructed to submit its report within two months. Moreover, the agenda for Wednesday’s session included the Early Retirement Bill. Unfortunately, the bill was withdrawn from the table for further revision and deliberations within the concerned committees, which were given until the next session to complete their tasks.

For the second day in a row, the Kuwaiti Cabinet has decided to suspend work at all ministries, state institutions, colleges and public and private schools Thursday as a precautionary move due to unstable rainy weather.

The decree is attributed to lingering heavy rains and forecasts of unstable weather conditions in the country, the Cabinet said in its Twitter account on Wednesday. It spoke highly of citizens and residents’ commitment to all instructions and warnings announced by concerned state agencies and bodies. Accordingly, the Civil Service Commission said that Thursday would be a day-off, pursuant to the Cabinet’s edict.

 

By Ahmed Al-Naqeeb Arab Times Staff and Agencies

This news has been read 37044 times!

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