150 Chinese companies to invest in Faisalabad industrial estate: CM

FAISALABAD: The Punjab government has embarked upon a gigantic project - Allama Iqbal Industrial Estate in Faisalabad - in which 150 Chinese companies will invest billions of rupees to set up different industrial units.

This was disclosed by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar at a ceremony held to distribute Sehat Insaf cards among the deserving families at the Punjab Medical University here on Friday. He said that the industrial estate would be set up under the Faisalabad Industrial Estate, Development and Management Company (FIEDMC). He said that the Allama Iqbal Industrial Estate was the only CPEC project in the Punjab. He said that the project would usher in a new era of progress and development in the area.

He said that the government would soon launch 500 development projects in the division at a cost of Rs 152 billion. He further said that Eastern West Water Treatment Plant project would soon be launched at a cost of Rs 19.33 billion in Faisalabad. After completion of the project, the water and salinity problems of Faisalabad would permanently be solved, he added. The chief minister said that the PTI came to power with the support of the people and the government would try its best to provide all basic amenities of life to the people. He said that 411,000 Sehat Insaf cards would be distributed among the poor families in the division.

The chief minister expressed his happiness, saying, that the launching of health cards scheme in Faisalabad and Chiniot districts would greatly facilitate the people like other districts of the province. He said that distribution of health cards among the needy patients was the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to convert Pakistan into a welfare state. Under the scheme, more than 7 million health cards would be distributed among the poor families. He said that over 30 per cent population in the Punjab would get health cover up to the limit of Rs 720,000 under the health cards scheme. This limit, he added, would be increased in the most deserving cases if required. The government would also pay transport fare required for shifting the patient to a hospital and back home from a hospital, he added.

He said that treatment facility for eight different diseases and accidents would be provided free of cost through the cards and free follow-up facility would also be provided, besides the provision of medical consultation with regard to the health of mother and child, surgery and emergencies without any cost. He said that 22 per cent population of Faisalabad and 23 per cent population of Chiniot would get free treatment facilities through the program. Shelter home is another unique project for the people by the PTI government, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that the previous governments invested in buildings and bridges, but the incumbent government was investing in human beings, which would make the country strong. She said that Sehat Insaf cards were being issued to 411,000 families in Faisalabad and to 88,000 families in Chiniot. Punjab Secretary Specialised Health Momin Agha said that the government was constructing nine new hospitals while emergencies of 13 hospitals were being upgraded. Later, the chief minister inaugurated the latest ICU in the DHQ Hospital, Faisalabad. Provincial Minister for Public Prosecution Chaudhry

Zaheeruddin, Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed, Commissioner Mahmood Javed Bhatti and others were also present on the occasion.