No compromise on quality in uplift projects: minister

LAHORE:A meeting regarding the performance of Wasa Lahore was held under the chairmanship of Punjab Minister for Housing and Urban Development Bilal Yasin.

Wasa MD Ghufran Ahmad gave a briefing on the ongoing projects under Phase One of the Lahore Development Plan. Under Phase One, work will be completed in Gulberg, Ravi Zone, Data Ganj Bakhsh, Samanabad, Nishtar Zone, and Shalimar Zone. Similarly, under Phase Two, development works will begin in the next fiscal year in Wagah Town, Aziz Bhatti Town, and Allama Iqbal Town. During the briefing, it was informed that 29 underpasses and 30 tube wells in Lahore are being monitored through the SCADA system.

The minister instructed for stricter monitoring of areas not yet covered by the SCADA system. He emphasised that the timely resolution of public hardships during ongoing development projects in the City was a top priority.

He stated that, in Wasa’s history, the current projects are being completed in a shorter time and on a larger scale. He made it clear that there should be no compromise on quality in development projects. The monitoring of ongoing projects in the provincial capital, Lahore, will continue, and weekly reports will be presented.

Furthermore, the minister said CM's ‘Apni Chhat Apna Ghar’ programme was a remarkable example of transparency. He said the process of providing interest-free loans and collecting repayments was successfully ongoing across the province.

Director General of PHATA, Sikandar Zeeshan, gave a detailed briefing to minister on the current status and goals of the programme. Over Rs10 million in installments have been collected under the provision of interest-free loans of Rs1.5 million for home construction. Construction of 2,273 houses has been completed, while over 29,000 houses are under construction. So far, Rs37.87 billion in loans have been disbursed to 33,504 individuals.

On the occasion, the minister stated that individuals who received free plots under the Apni Zameen Apna Ghar initiative will also be provided interest-free loans for construction. The CM’s vision is to ensure that every family has a peaceful home and a roof over their head.

The screening process has been expedited to provide loans to as many people as possible. The receipt of hundreds of thousands of applications is a clear testament to the transparency and success of this programme, he concluded.