Focus on backward areas: CM

Reviews pace of progress of development projects

LAHORE

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday presided over a meeting which reviewed the pace of progress on the ongoing projects in the province. 

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that besides maintaining standard and transparency, timely completion of development projects was policy of the government. He said special attention was being paid to develop backward areas under the balanced development policy. He said that people were benefiting from mega development projects completed in the province. He said that work was being carried out speedily on public awelfare projects of billions of rupees in education, health and other sectors. He said the programmes like Daanish School, Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, distribution of laptops and encouragement of talented students were leaving a positive impact on education sector. He said that all Daanish schools were set up in backward areas for promoting quality education and these schools had opened the doors of quality education to the children of poor families.

Shahbaz Sharif said that more than 1.5 lac less privileged talented students were studying with the help of Punjab Educational Endowment Fund. He said that Punjab government had diverted the resources towards less developed areas as progress of these areas was priority of the government. He said that after metro bus projects in Rawalpindi-Islamabad and Lahore, work was being carried out expeditiously on metro bus project in Multan. He said resources were being spent transparently and honestly on the welfare of the masses. 

The chief minister said that the funds saved through austerity policy and economic discipline were being spent on the welfare of the masses. He said that resources of the nation were being spent on the projects aimed at narrowing the gulf between the rich and the poor. He said that it was basic responsibility of the departments concerned to ensure timely completion of development schemes. He said that a third-party audit policy was being strictly implemented for ensuring transparency in development projects. Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab government had saved billions of rupees of the nation by promoting culture of transparency, and there was no other such example in the history of the country. He said that such development projects and programmes were being implemented which would benefit maximum number of poor people. 

He said that provision of potable water in rural areas would be ensured during next two years and Rs 70 billion were being spent on this programme. He said that the massive project of supply of potable water had been started from south Punjab. Shahbaz Sharif said that Rs150 billion were being spent on construction and rehabilitation of rural roads. He said that provision of modern and speedy transport facilities to the people was top priority of the government and Orange Line Metro Train Project would change the transport culture in the province. He said that transport problems of the common man would minimise with the completion of metro train project. He said that lifestyle of poor people would improve with the completion of ongoing development projects. Provincial Ministers Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Adviser on Economic Affairs Dr Ejaz Nabi, the Punjab chief secretary, Planning & Development chairman also attended the meeting whereas the Excise secretary participated in the meeting through video link from Rahimyar Khan DCO Office and  Punjab Revenue Authority chairman from DCO Office in Multan.

terrorism: Shahbaz Sharif has said there is no room for terrorism, extremism and sectarianism in the Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam.

He said this during a talk with Federal Minister for Defense Production Rana Tanvir Husain who called on  here on Saturday.The chief minister said setting up of a society based on tolerance, harmony and brotherhood was mission of the government. He said the dream of progress and prosperity could not be materialised without elimination of terrorism and energy crisis from the country. He said that the whole nation was determined to curb terrorism to make Pakistan a heaven of peace. He said that those who sacrificed their lives for the country were heroes of the nation and their scarifies would not go wasted. Shahbaz Sharif said that thousands of Pakistanis had laid down their lives in the war against terrorism. He said this war would continue till elimination of the last terrorist.