Says days of South Punjab’s deprivation, backwardness over
Amraiz Khan
Today is a historic occasion when the foundation stone of the south Punjab secretariat has been laid while fulfilling the long-standing demands of the people.
I am thankful to PM Imran Khan and the construction and timely completion of the south Punjab secretariat in Multan will be ensured.
Similarly, the foundation stone of the south Punjab secretariat will be laid soon in Bahawalpur.
South Punjab was kept deprived in the past and people were deceived through fudge figures.
The utilizing of the development budget in south Punjab was not more than 17 per cent in the past but the incumbent government has allocated and ring-fenced 33 per cent funds for southern Punjab.
This was stated by Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar while addressing the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the south Punjab secretariat and announcement of the Multan Development Package in Multan on Monday.
The CM said that more than 27 thousand schools, including 38 per cent from south Punjab, have been upgraded.
Meanwhile, PTI inherited unfinished projects worth 1300 billion and these schemes are being completed to facilitate the people.
The people of south Punjab have entrusted the PTI and the development of Multan is a priority agenda of the government.
Under the district development package, he said hundred development schemes will be completed in Multan including 47 roads, 23 supply and disposal of water, 9 educational, 6 healthcare and other departments’ projects.
Work has been started on several projects and timely completion will be ensured, he added.
The CM said that development projects costing Rs780 million will be completed under the local government development programme in Multan.
4 development schemes of Rs3.31 billion have been inaugurated in Multan including e-khidmat centre, shelter home, urban forest and labour housing colony in an industrial estate. 992 flats are being given to labourers in the labour housing colony, he added.
He said that foundation stone of 5 schemes has been laid with an amount of 8.97 billion in Multan including dual Mattital road, shelter home, 200-bed mother and child hospital, similarly, the expansion of Multan-Vehari Road will be completed with a cost of 18 billion in PPP mode, he added.
The CM said the south Punjab secretariat will be completed with Rs3.54 billion, adding that ACS and additional IG have been posted while the number of departments has been increased for the south Punjab secretariat.
The CM said the Punjab Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project of around Rs90 billion is being started from this year in collaboration with the world bank in 16 tehsils of the province, including 8 tehsils of south Punjab, to complete projects related to supply and drainage of water in villages.
11 billion rupees will be spent on water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, street lights, roads and parks in the next two years in Vehari, Burewala, Khanewal, Kot Addu and Bahawalnagar under Punjab Cities Project, he added.
District Jail will be relocated to Mattital Road and the existing land will be converted into a park, he disclosed. 1.50 billion rupees are being allocated in the next financial year budget, he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar regretted that the opposition is using the corona challenge for its political gains.
He asserted that every effort was made by the government to deal with the third corona wave adding that the number of ventilators and oxygen beds has been increased in the hospitals to facilitate the patients.
Regrettably, the opposition is trying to achieve mundane political mileage over the corona issue, he added.
However, those distancing the people in the corona pandemic have been isolated, he added.
