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Only Rs3.5m grants approved during ongoing fiscal: minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht

By Our Correspondent
November 21, 2019

LAHORE:The Punjab government approved only Rs3.5 million supplementary grants during the ongoing fiscal year against the demand of Rs43.7 million while summaries for Rs33.5 million grants demand were rejected by the finance department and Rs10.2 million grants demands by cabinet committee for finance.

This was disclosed by Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht chairing 20th meeting of Standing Committee of Cabinet on Finance and Development. The meeting reviewed more than 15 demands for grants from different departments while the demand for construction of anti-terrorism courts complex and including Nankana District Jail in annual development programme proposed by the home department were approved.

The meeting also approved Rs52.643 million supplementary grants for acquiring 6-kanal land for construction of Lahore-Multan bypass circle project, 500-bed THQ hospital in Chakwal, shifting of Lahore High Court Multan Bench, and salaries payment to Mianwali local government staff.

The minister instructed the local government department to bring all finance matters attaching with provincial finance commission and ensure the payment of previous system before the implementation of the new local government system. The meeting postponed the approval of child protection bureau in Kasur attaching it with reviewing the performance of child protection bureau, Lahore.

The meeting instructed the communication and works department to relocate its offices at suitable places and select the public buildings instead of private buildings.

Allama Iqbal Industrial City: The Punjab government on Wednesday invited bids for development of Allama Iqbal Industrial City after formally launching Priority Special Economic Zones under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to accelerate the economic activities besides generating employment opportunities.

Mian Kashif Ashfaq, chairman, Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC), while talking to the media said Allama Iqbal Industrial City had been planned over an area of 4,000 acres which was strategically located on Motorway M-4 near Sahianwala Interchange, Faisalabad. He said the main boulevard, entrance gate and boundary wall would be completed within six months. He said the M-3 Industrial City spread over an area of 4,500 acres of land, another mega project of FIEDMC under Special Economic Zone, had attracted US $ 1.8 billion foreign direct investment as well investment from local industrialists.