MULTAN - Punjab Minister for Cooperatives Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar declared on Monday that all ongoing development schemes currently underway in Multan division would be accomplished before March.
Chairing a meeting held here to review progress in development projects, he directed the Deputy Commissioners of Multan and other districts of the division to send details of all those projects to the government which had got halted due to shortage of funds. He said that the government set a new tradition in the country by releasing funds directly to the local governments. "It will offer direct relief to the masses," he added. He disclosed that the provincial ministers had been sent to all areas of Punjab to review the progress in development projects.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab minister for natural disasters Mehr Ijaz Ahmad Ichlana said that the provincial government empowered local government representatives by offer clean village programme and local government development package. He warned that the government would not tolerate negligence in health and education sectors. He directed the administration of all districts to take practical steps for providing facilities to the hospitals and schools of their respective areas. "The government has already released plenty of funds for this purpose," he added.
Briefing the meeting, the Commissioner Multan division Bilal Ahmad Butt said that a total of 698 development schemes had so far been accomplished in Multan division under Annual Development Programme. "Out of these, as many as 395 are completed in Multan, 243 Khanewal and 60 Lodhran while 236 School Education schemes in ADP are underway in the division," he disclosed. He said that all out efforts would be made to accomplish the incomplete schemes in two months.
Deputy Commissioner Nadir Chattha disclosed that the Multan Development Authority had evolved a master plan under which sewerage and road projects would be executed on priority basis. He added that the case for the construction of a new stadium in Jalalpur Pirwala would also be sent to the government for approval again.
The Punjab government has released Rs250,000 fund to each Union Council for launching development projects under local government development programme.
Deputy Commissioner Nadir Chattha disclosed on Saturday that the UC Chairmen could utilize this fund for street lights, tough tile, sewerage or other development projects. He said that the provincial government released funds worth billions for development at union council level and the first phase of clean village as well as local government development programmes had been completed with these funds.
He stressed upon the local government representatives to ensure judicious and transparent use of the funds and personally monitor the projects to offer maximum relief to the people. He suggested to the UC Chairmen to prefer sewerage and tough tile projects for lifting the life standard at backward union councils.
