$250m ADB grant for Sahiwal, Sialkot municipal services

LAHORE: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique has emphasised that community mobilisation is essential in development projects with the support of Asian Development Bank (ADB).

It is difficult to achieve the desired goals without the participation of the people and their elected representatives, the minister said. During a briefing on the visit of the Punjab Intermediate Cities Development Investment Program (PICIIP), he expressed satisfaction that ADB has provided a grant of $250 million for Phase One, which will be implemented in Sahiwal and Sialkot for provision of quality municipal services.

MPA from Sialkot Faisal Ikram was also present in the meeting while MPA from Sahiwal Malik Arshad participated through a video link. Project Director PICIIP Hamza Salik gave a briefing on the projects under the programme.

The minister said that in the context of increasing problems of municipal services in Sahiwal and Sialkot, a model project was started under PICIIP with the support of Asian Bank.

“Local Governments Department and PMU are monitoring the implementation of the project. The problems of medium and small cities are particularly painful. In this regard, the Punjab government is working on schemes for the establishment of sewage, water supply system schemes and development of parks. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz wants to start uniform welfare schemes for cities and villages alike”, said minister. “Under the project, institutional support will be ensured in Sialkot and Sahiwal and the capacity of institutions related to municipal services will also be increased”, he vowed.

Bahawalpur Industrial Estate sale plan approved

Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company Chairman Javed Iqbal chaired a meeting of the board of directors. The board approved the sale plan of Bahawalpur Industrial Estate.

The meeting approved the design and cost of the main gates of the Quaid-i-Azam Business Park, the audited accounts of the company for the years 2021 and 2022, the terms of references of the working committees, and the concept paper of the Green Energy Initiatives. The board also approved obtaining a licence from PTA to provide telecommunication services in Quaid-i-Azam Business Park, formation of the special committee to acquire land for a new grid station in Sunder Industrial Estate, and initiating the process to fill the vacant statutory seats of the company.

While addressing the meeting, PIEDMC chairman Javed Iqbal said that emergency steps were being taken to promote industrial development in Punjab. Special focus is being given to the timely completion of development projects and the provision of facilities to the industrialists under one roof.

The board members Shehzad Azam Khan, Sajid Saleem Mehnas, Muhammad Ahmed, Dr Shahid Raza, Ibrahim Tariq, PIEDMC CEO Ali Muazzam Syed along with the officers of the Finance Department, Punjab Board of Investment and Trade and Tevta participated in the meeting.