Punjab CM seeks plan for industries promotion

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Friday sought a comprehensive plan for the promotion of industries in the province.

She presided over a meeting here to review the mapping of industrial areas and announced that the government had decided in principle that the Punjab Economic Corridor Development Authority (PECDA) would be established for industrial promotion.

A briefing was given on small, medium and big industries and proposals were also submitted for their development. Maryam ordered increasing the ratio of women workers in the job sector. She ordered the completion of mapping and data collection of industries in all divisions, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi at the earliest. She also approved the rehabilitation of Cutlery Institute in Wazirabad. The proposal to establish an industrial business complex and expo centre for marketing items near the cities was also reviewed. A proposal to provide cutting, sizing and polishing facilities for the marble and gym stone industry, along with establishing a special economic zone on the western route of CPEC in Fateh Jang, was reviewed.

The CM ordered to constitute a value chain-based infrastructure for distribution, production, logistics and marketing along with paying special attention to the construction of inter-city roads and farm-to-market roads. Maryam appreciated the proposal to establish a design, standards and testing institute. The Urban Unit department gave a briefing to the CM about the industry mapping. It was informed that 10 lakh labour force was working in the manufacturing industry.

Separately, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a Sports Advisory Council comprising former players and students. She also decided to reconstitute the Punjab Sports Board and ordered to avail the services of national and international coaches for the promotion of sports.

The CM presided over a meeting at the Sports Department in which it was agreed to make multi-purpose sports grounds in 91 constituencies. A Special Planning Unit will be constituted to undertake planning and other development affairs. It was decided that biometric attendance conditions would be ensured at the Sports Department to identify ghost employees.

Maryam regretted the youth were facing a dearth of opportunities and were driven towards drug addiction. She pledged to restore sports infrastructure and said hockey competitions should be organised. The proposal to constitute the Institute of Sports Sciences Punjab was also reviewed. She also ordered to include basketball in the talent hunt programme. Approval was given for granting an additional Rs2 billion for the Sports Endowment Fund, which was established with a Rs2 billion allocation.

Meanwhile presiding over a review meeting on the proposed roadmap of Chief Minister’s Initiatives with the support of Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, UK, Maryam Nawaz announced that socioeconomic data of the entire population of Punjab would be collected.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday took notice of a torture incident involving a widow and her daughters in Sher Zaman Colony, Civil Lines area.

The CM directed the IGP to take prompt measures to ensure the protection of the affected woman and her children, as well as to take stern action against the accused involved in committing the torture. The CM ordered the CCPO to submit a report after conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. She emphasized that domestic violence against women is highly intolerable and crosses her red line.