MARYAM Nawaz, the Chief Minister of Punjab, has taken bold steps to steer the province towards progress through various development and welfare schemes.
Her vision reflects a commitment to improving infrastructure, healthcare, education and social services. From building roads to launching housing, health and green energy programs, her plans paint an ambitious picture. However, despite this momentum, a growing concern surrounds the slow implementation of these schemes and their limited visibility on the ground.
One of the most applauded feats has been the construction of 12,000 kilometres of roads within a year, aimed at strengthening regional connectivity but many projects are caught in bureaucratic delays, land disputes and irregular funding. The result is a frustrating gap between announcement and delivery, with citizens continuing to suffer daily travel disruptions.
In social welfare, the Apni Chat Apna Ghar and 3 Marla Plot schemes promise to provide shelter to low-income families. But these too face hurdles. Delays in land identification, slow fund disbursement and poor coordination among departments have led to stalled progress. In many districts, intended beneficiaries are still waiting for basic steps to be completed.
In healthcare, initiatives like the Aghosh Program, Himmat Card, Dialysis Card and Free Insulin scheme aim to support the poor. While noble in intention, complaints are surfacing over distribution flaws, poor awareness and access issues. The dialysis card, despite offering financial coverage, lacks sufficient hospital partnerships and monitoring systems. Similarly, the insulin programme, vital for diabetics, suffers from frequent stock shortages and limited reach, particularly in rural and underdeveloped regions.
On the education and technology front, the free laptop initiative, CM Punjab Education Card and school upgrades are aimed at empowering youth. However, the laptop distribution is reportedly facing delays and allegations of favouritism. Educational cards are yet to reach a large number of students and many schools still lack essentials such as clean water, furniture and sanitation — severely affecting the learning environment.
Agricultural schemes, including the solarization of tube wells, the Green Tractor Scheme and the Clean Water Plan, are intended to modernise farming and ensure water access. These projects are particularly critical for South Punjab, where farmers face rising input costs, unreliable electricity and water scarcity. Yet progress is slow. Most farmers haven’t received the promised support and the Clean Water Plan — despite its Rs50 billion budget — is still in the early stages while communities continue to consume unsafe drinking water.
Efforts towards sustainable transport, such as the E-Taxi Scheme and rollout of electric buses, are also worth noting. The promise of 1,100 e-taxis and 240 electric buses could transform mobility and reduce emissions. But so far, their impact is negligible. Charging infrastructure is incomplete and the vehicles are barely visible in cities. Operational delays have left these projects largely symbolic at present.
A serious and under-addressed issue remains the menace of organised begging mafias. Despite repeated media reports and public concern, no significant action has been taken against these criminal networks exploiting children, women and the elderly. These mafias not only exploit human misery but also make public spaces unsafe and contribute to rising crime. Any meaningful social welfare strategy must include a crackdown on these networks and introduce rehabilitation plans for victims.
What is evident is that while the chief minister’s intentions may be genuine, many of her well-publicised schemes are being bogged down by flawed execution. Lack of interdepartmental coordination, weak monitoring and poor transparency are major factors hindering progress. This disconnect between policy and delivery is what’s threatening to turn vision into illusion.
The real test of leadership is not just in launching projects, but in ensuring their completion with visible and measurable outcomes. The Punjab government must adopt a performance-driven approach, focusing on results rather than announcements. Administrative machinery must be made more accountable and real-time data and feedback should guide course corrections.
Public trust can only be built when citizens witness real improvements — better roads, functioning health centres, clean water and empowered youth. Without these changes reaching the grassroots, even the most visionary programs will fail to bring about meaningful change.
Maryam Nawaz has laid out a promising roadmap. But without addressing the ground-level barriers and ensuring transparency, her vision risks being remembered more for its rhetoric than its results. The people of Punjab deserve more than promises — they deserve outcomes.
—The writer is former Regional Executive Inclusive Development at NBP, Mirpur AK.
