Minchinabad to be made model city: CM Usman Buzdar

LAHORE :Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting of parliamentarians from Bahawalpur Division here Thursday.

The assembly members gave suggestions for the next annual development programme in their respective constituencies. Talking to the participants, Usman Buzdar said that 35 percent development budget had been allocated for the progress and prosperity of the people of southern Punjab. A ban has also been imposed on utilising southern Punjab’s funds on other areas or projects, he added. The PTI government has focused on the development of backward areas which were intentionally ignored during the past tenure. He said link roads would be constructed to connect the districts of Bahawalpur Division with the motorway and directed the officials concerned to evolve a plan for the same. He said that rights of wheat cultivators would be safeguarded in Punjab. Farmers will be given a complete reward of their produce and wheat procurement process will be started earlier as compared to the previous year. He said that Minchinabad would be made a model city with regard to its development projects. Similarly, repair and maintenance of Head Sulemanki Road and Bahawalnagar to Pakpattan Road will soon be started.

Usman Buzdar directed to include the project of provision of necessary medical equipment in the hospitals in the next budget. He also directed to accelerate the pace of potable water project in the Bahawalpur Division, adding that sewerage projects should also be started for water drainage. The construction of an overhead bridge from Farid Gate to Circular Road along with underpass and bridge over Railway crossing in Ahmedpur East will be reviewed, he said. He disclosed that the project of computerisation of revenue record at the rural level would be launched. A pilot project will be initially launched in 14 Qanoongoi level.

The chief minister ordered measures to overcome the shortage of officers and other staff in different departments at the district level and approved recruitments against vacant posts in the police department. He said the law & order would be improved due to overcoming the shortage of police staff. Vehicles will soon be provided to the police department, he added. He also directed measures for filling the approved vacant posts in schools, colleges and hospitals. The matter of giving executive allowance to the police, like officers working at cadre postings, will be reviewed. Usman Buzdar ordered solving the constituencies related problems of assembly members. Provincial Ministers Samiullah Chaudhry, Shaukat AliLalika, MNAs and Chief Whip in National Assembly Malik Aamir Dogar, Abdul Ghaffar Wattoo, Muhammad Farooq-a-Azam Malik, Makhdoom Syed Sami-ul-Hassan Shah Gillani, Syed Mubeen Ahmed, MPAs, including Syed Abbas Ali Shah (Chief Whip in Punjab Assembly), Sahibzada Ghazeen Abbasi, Syed Iftikhar Hassan Gillani, Aamir Nawaz Khan, Ch. Masood Ahmed, Mian Shafi Muhammad, Fawaz Ahmed, Asif Majeed, Muhammad Shafique, Secretary good governance PTI Punjab Ijaz Minhas and others attended the meeting.