‘Govt upcoming projects to improve lives of citizens’

LAHORE:The Planning and Development Board arranged a review meeting on the 4th Tripartite Portfolio Review Meeting 2020 with Asian Development Bank.

Secretary Planning and development Imran Sikander Baloch and Country Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Ms Xiaohong Yang jointly chaired the review meeting. Country Director ADB Pakistan, Ms Xiaohong Yang reviewed the progress of Punjab government for formulating the comprehensive Punjab Growth Strategy and also highlighted the key points of ADB strategy which is aligned with government’s development policy, Vision 2025 and plans of provincial government.

She added that the strategy covers all key areas that development partners are looking to collaborate with the government. She pinpointed main parts, especially public-private partnerships where the ADB and government of Punjab are working together and hoped that the up-coming projects will improve the lives of the citizens.

Imran Sikandar Baloch emphasised on new development paradigm and aligning the whole development process with the Punjab Growth Strategy. He stated that the main focus of the current government is on Social Sector, Public Private Partnership, Economic Growth in the Industrial and Agricultural Sector. The current ongoing projects in collaboration with ADB will be delivered in their due time frame in Punjab, he added.

The session explored key areas of collaboration on poverty reduction and inclusive growth, infrastructure development, private sector development, environment and climate change, and regional cooperation and integration. On this occasion, Secretary Irrigation Syed Ali Murtaza, Secretary Local Government Ahmad Javed Qazi, all Members of P&D Board and senior officials of Asian Development Bank also attended the meeting.

PES: The Punjab Emergency Services (PES) provided timely emergency care to 97,232 victims across the province while responding to 98,281 emergencies in the month of February. Around 320 people died in all these emergencies during last month.

PES director general expressed these views while presiding over a monthly performance review meeting held at Rescue Headquarters here Wednesday, which was attended by all wings heads. According to statistics, a total of 97,232 were rescued 98,281 victims of emergencies last month. Out of these emergencies, 27,538 were road traffic accidents, 57,623 medical emergencies, 1,263 fire incidents, 2,352 crimes, 48 drowning incidents, 56 building collapse, 20 explosions and 9,381 miscellaneous operations.