CM chairs meeting of lawmakers from Multan to review progress of development projects

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired meeting of national and provincial assembly members at 90-SQA. Progress regarding ongoing development projects of Multan division and schemes under Annual Development Programme (ADP) for next fiscal year came under review during six hours long meeting. Members of national and provincial assembly put forth their recommendations about problems relating to their constituencies and development projects. Usman Buzdar himself noted down problems relating to constituencies of national and provincial assembly members and issued necessary directions to concerned officers. Usman Buzdar announced to formulate policy in order to give ownership rights to Katchi Abadis on the demand of assembly members and also directed to constitute a committee to review matters pertaining to giving ownership to Katchi Abadis and stated that the committee will submit its recommendations in this regard at the earliest. Usman Buzdar also announced to formulate comprehensive policy for the up-gradation of schools across the province and further directed that priorities of every district should be taken into consideration while framing policy for up-gradation of schools and requirements of national and provincial assembly members will also be taken into account. All arrangements are complete for setting up South Punjab Secretariat on administrative grounds, he added. The promise being made with the masses with regard to setting up South Punjab Secretariat will be fulfilled. Inductions will also be made on approved vacant posts in order to overcome shortage in police force. Police has disposed of old vehicles and items amounting to Rs50 crore and funds will also be allocated to police force for buying new vehicles, he stated. Consultations with national and provincial assembly members for resolving problems of their respective areas has been initiated five months before budget and after ascertaining preferences of development projects, they will be included in ADP. Sub-campus of university will be constructed in Khanewal and this project will also be included in ADP of next fiscal year as well as necessary matters regarding sports complex project Khanewal will soon be settled. Project for setting up Cadet College in South Punjab will also be reviewed. In order to increase agricultural production capability of research institutes will be increased. The government will take up all possible steps for restructuring of research institutes for making them compatible with latest requirements. It has also been decided to undertake soil mapping in Punjab and cotton seed will prove to increase excellent quality crop production. Usman Buzdar also directed to submit final plan within seven days with regard to cotton seed. The shortage of doctors and staff in Tehsil Headquarter Hospital Mian Channu will also be overcome, he added. We will also ensure construction of trauma centre at Mian Channu within estimated period of time and funds will also be allocated for Railway underpass project. He also directed to earmark land for setting up Expo Centre Project at Multan and project for setting up trauma centre near northern bypass will also be reviewed. Remaining work of Aurangzeb Road Multan will also be completed soon, he maintained. The scope of Lahore Walled City Authority will be extended across Punjab and civic facilities will be improved in interior parts of Multan city. Project of art and craft village is also under consideration at Multan and handicrafts will be promoted under this project. He further said that it is my foremost priority to improve health sector and Nishtar-II hospital is under construction in Multan. We are also constructing cardiac hospital at DG Khan for cardiac treatment. We will also set up one more cardiac hospital in Lahore, he maintained. 25 thousand health professionals have been recruited on merit during one and a half year which include 10 thousand doctors. He also stated that a new system has been chalked out for the provision of clean drinking water and improving sewerage schemes. Government has also granted approval of funds amounting to Rs50 crore for taking preventive measures with regard to locusts attack as machinery and necessary medicines will be bought from this allocated fund. He also announced to make Multan-Vehari dual road with public private partnership and directed that expeditious progress should be made in this regard. The issue of water provision in Shujabad canal will be resolved on priority basis. He also sought recommendations for making standard size of motorcycle rickshaw, its design and also directed to formulate method for re-fixing rents of district and tehsil council properties. It was also decided during the meeting to construct new police station at Ludan while the proposal to promote 100 cusec rainwater in the area of Malsi also came under review. Road to link Vehari, Bahawalnagar and other districts with Abdul Hakeem Interchange will also be reviewed, he stated. He also ordered to ensure implementation on lowering the price of urea fertilizer in the province and also constituted a committee under the headship of Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat to review giving authority to change investigation process. National and provincial assembly members paid rich tributes to Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and also commended the consultation process being adopted by him. They also complimented that CM Usman Buzdar is making appreciable efforts for resolving problems of the masses. We have got tired after attending long meeting session but Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is still looking fresh. They also appreciated that excellent work is being carried out in Multan and holding consultation process with elected representatives regarding development projects is a commendable step. MNA Zain Qureshi remarked that he congratulates Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for holding consecutive six hours long consultative meeting. Chairman Kashmir Committee Syed Fakhar Imam, Members National Assembly Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, Zain Qureshi, Ahmed Hussain Dehar, Zahoor Hussain Qureshi, Aurangzeb Khan Khitchi, Tahir Iqbal, Mian Muhammad Shafique, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Provincial Ministers Muhammad Akhtar Malik, Syed Hussain Jehanian Gardezi, Jehanzeb Khan Khitchi, Zawar Hussain Warraich, Members Provincial Assembly Syed Abbas Ali Shah, Syed Khawar Ali Shah, Hamid Yar Hiraj, Muhammad Saleem Akhtar, Nawabzada Waseem Khan Badozai, Muhammad Zaheer ud Din Khan, Javed Akhtar, Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi, Malik Wasif Mazhar, Mian Tariq Abdullah, Qasim Abbas Khan, Nazir Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Ijaz Hussain, Rai Zahoor Ahmed, Muhammad Ali Raza Khan Khaqwani and leader of PTI Punjab Ijaz Mihas attended the meeting. Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Chairman CM Inspection Team, Secretaries of Provincial Departments, Commissioner Multan Division, RPO and CPO Multan, Deputy Commissioners and DPOs of Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Vehari and concerned officers were also present on this occasion. Meanwhile, a province-wise comprehensive anti-polio campaign will be launched by the Punjab government and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has approved to launch an anti-polio drive every month during the current year. This campaign would be started from February 17 to administer anti-polio drops to twenty million children in the province. While presiding over the meeting of the provincial task force for the eradication of polio at his office, the chief minister directed to give particular attention to high-risk districts. The health department, as well as the district administration, should ensure 100 percent implementation on the anti-polio plan and work hard to achieve the desired results, he added. Active participation of the local community including elected representatives and lumberdars is equally important to achieve the anti-polio targets. He expressed the concern that surfacing of polio cases in some districts is alarming and emphasized that local administration will have to efficiently deal with it in such areas. The Deputy Commissioners should proactively work for the eradication of polio, he directed. He warned that no leniency will be tolerated and action will be taken in case of any negligence in implementation of the anti-polio plan. I will review anti-polio measures every month, he added. The chief minister also expressed the displeasure that meetings about anti-polio measures are not regularly held by some Deputy Commissioners and made it clear that such DCs will be held answerable. Administering of anti-polio drops to all the children should be ensured during this campaign as it’s a national issue which requires joint efforts, he said. Eradication of polio is a noble cause and this disease will be completely eradicated with collected efforts, concluded the chief minister. Provincial secretary primary and secondary healthcare gave a briefing about polio cases, anti-polio measures and campaign targets. Provincial ministers Dr Yasmin Rashid, Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan, Murad Raas, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema MPA, Chief Secretary, Commissioner Lahore Division, representatives of UNICEF, WHO and others attended the meeting. Commissioners, DCs and CEOs of district health authorities attended the meeting through video link. Separately, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the death of labourers in a factory incident at Sargodha Road in Faisalabad district. In a statement, he extended sympathies to the bereaved heirs and sought a report from the Commissioner Faisalabad Division. He directed to investigate for taking legal action against the responsible persons and added that best treatment facilities be provided to the injured.