Govt committed to assisting Regional Development Plan, says PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said the federal government is committed to providing all possible assistance in the implementation of the Regional Development Plan.

He said this while chairing a meeting on Gujranwala Development Plan and Rawalpindi Urban Regeneration and Nullah Leh Expressway Project under Regional Economic Development Strategy in Punjab. The meeting was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Advisor to Chief Minister Dr Salman Shah, the Punjab chief secretary and senior officials through video link. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid was also present.

Dr Salman Shah briefed the prime minister on the strategy for the development of various divisions of Punjab. Under the Regional Economic Development Strategy, attention is being paid to the development of the region and its contribution to national production, taking advantage of the opportunities available in the respective areas in various economic sectors.

Appreciating the proposed plan, the prime minister said the Gujranwala division has immense potential. Highlighting the potential in the small and medium industry, he said the entire focus of the government is on providing better business opportunities to SMEs so that they could play a better role in the national economy. The prime minister said the federal government is committed to providing all possible assistance in the implementation of the Regional Economic Development Strategy. He directed that continuous monitoring of the Gujranwala Development Plan should be ensured by setting targets based on timelines.

The meeting was informed that the Gujranwala Division is currently contributing 13 per cent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), 20 per cent to exports and about 40 per cent to remittances from abroad. Under the Gujranwala Development Plan, special attention will be given to the sectors of agriculture, manufacturing and services sector so that the potential of the Gujranwala Division could be fully utilized.

Under the development plan, special attention will be given to 10 sectors including knowledge and technology transfer, specialized value chain infrastructure, manpower development, cluster support system, affordable energy, communication, urban management, better connectivity of rural urban market and rural development.

Later, the prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the Nullah Leh Expressway Project. He was also briefed on the progress made so far with regard to zoning and regulations related to the project. He was briefed on the interchanges to be set up on the project, and the establishment of specialized zones at ramp intersections. The prime minister was informed that the first phase of zoning would begin in mid-June.

Talking about the Rawalpindi Urban Regeneration and Nullah Leh Expressway Project, the prime minister said this project would play a key role in the transformation of Rawalpindi city where it would solve the problems of the city and create economic activity. The prime minister directed that special attention be paid to timelines set for the project so that the project could be completed on time.