Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar presided over an important meeting at his office here on Friday in which different matters including the establishment of industrial estates and special economic zones, progress on the annual development programme, provincial finance commission and Prime Minister’s Kamyab Naujawan Programme were reviewed. The meeting also pondered over development schemes for national and provincial constituencies.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that Rs 187 billion have been released by January 22 under ADP. Rs 107 billion have been spent while Rs 42 billion have been allocated for public-private partnership based projects. He said that a proposal of setting up of public-private partnership infrastructure fund was also under consideration.
Similarly, out of the reserved amount of Rs 62 billion, Rs 42 billion have been released for development of southern Punjab, he added. The chief minister said that ban has been imposed on the transfer of funds reserved for the development of backward areas to other localities or projects. Departments have also been instructed to expedite the pace of work on ADP schemes.
He added that timely utilization of released funds will be ensured adding that 17 places have been identified for accelerating the industrial process in the province and a strategy is being devised for their development. Meanwhile, he added that the Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park project will be inaugurated in March.
The special economic zones would enhance employment opportunities through new investment, he added. Usman Buzdar said that a new industrial estate will be established in Sialkot over an area of 1000 acres of land to create around 3.5 lac new jobs opportunities. The chief minister said that industrial estates were also being developed in backward areas. He disclosed that interim provincial financial commission award 2017 was functional while Punjab cabinet has given approval to the constitution of a commission under Punjab Local Government Act 2019.
This commission would be notified soon, he added. A total of 455 local governments would be formulated in Punjab, he further said. The chief minister said that billions of rupees have been earmarked for Punjab municipal services programme and added that non-functional sewerage and water supply schemes will be reactivated under this programme.
Similarly, necessary machinery will also be procured for solid waste management and work will be done in constituencies. The Punjab Municipal Services Programme will be started from next month, he added. The second phase of repair and maintenance programme of rural roads is being started soon and roads’ repair would also be done in parliamentarians’ constituencies.
Usman Buzdar reiterated that genuine work of MNAs and MPAs will be done on a priority basis. Punjab will take a lead with regard to Prime Minister’s Kamyab Naujawan programme as it is a revolutionary step to empower the youth, concluded the chief minister.
Federal Minister for P&D Asad Umar, PM’s Special Assistant on Youth Affairs M Usman Dar, provincial industries minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Advisor to CM Dr Salman Shah, Mussarat Jamshed MPA, CS, Chairman P&D, Secretary Finance and others attended the meeting.
