CM reviews progress on development plan

LAHORE

Progress on the annual development programme for the financial year 2016-17 was reviewed at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. 

According to a handout issued Monday, the chief minister directed the authorities concerned to utilise all development funds transparently and in time. He said the people could get benefits of development projects initiated by the government if the development funds earmarked for these projects were utilised well in time and in a transparent manner. He said billions of rupees were being spent on development projects in the South Punjab.

He said work on the biggest development programme of Punjab was in progress during the current financial year and for the annual development programme an amount of Rs550 billion was being provided. 

The chief minister said the schemes to improve living standard of the people had been included in the annual development programme, and education, health, agriculture, water and other sectors had been given priority by the government. He said funds worth billions of rupees had been earmarked for development and progress of the people of South Punjab, and all-out funds would be provided for the development in the South Punjab. 

He said billions of rupees had been spent on mega projects in South Punjab and all departments were playing their role in the transparent spending of funds. He directed the authorities concerned to complete all projects in South Punjab at the fast track. He said a visible change in South Punjab had been witnessed due to these initiatives of the Punjab government. He said delay in the projects for the provision of basic facilities to the people would not be tolerated and effective monitoring of the development projects would be continued. He said rural roads had been restored under the Khadam-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme which had provided facilities to villagers. 

Health reforms: Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting of Provincial Cabinet Committee on health which reviewed proposals to further empower the cabinet committee on health and progress on the reforms programme in health sector. 

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said implementation of a comprehensive reforms programme was being ensured to provide best medical facilities to the people. He said that we should shed conventional methods and proceed with latest and modern techniques to revamp the healthcare sector.  He said delay in the implementation of decisions could not be tolerated and for this purpose the cabinet committee for health would have to be empowered and it would produce positive results. He said time had change now and there was no room for wasting even a second and we had to adopt modern and professional methods to serve the humanity. He said that improvement in the health sector was being ensured with transparency to provide the best health facilities to the common man.