The launching of the Punjab Daihi (Rural) Roads Programme is being projected as a feather in the cap of the Punjab government. Under this project, all rural roads in the province will be repaired and/or reconstructed over the next three years at a cost of Rs 150 billion. Without denying the long term benefits of the programme aimed at linking agricultural areas to markets, there are other areas of concern that are being cold shouldered by the Punjab government. First of all, can our staggering economy afford such a project when some comparatively more important sectors are suffering from the Punjab government’s negligence? The concept of farm-to-market roads is not new. It has been part of the development lexicon for decades by now. The initiative may be commendable but the Punjab government needs to take stock of the other needs of the people too. The wrong set of priorities is a real cause for concern. The Punjab government is not paying attention to important social sectors like health and education. Instead of taking a holistic approach, the government confines itself to pilot projects like the Daanish Schools that fail to cater to the needs of the majority of the public. There is inadequate allocation of resources for the education, health and energy sectors. Due to these poor policies, the literacy rate is declining day by day while Pakistan is counted among three countries where polio is still endemic. Moreover, the country is still in the grip of a massive energy crisis due to the government’s apathy.
It would be better for the Punjab government to revisit its development priorities. The Punjab government has already poured huge funds into a single Metro Bus Project in Lahore without gauging its affordability and effectiveness. Nevertheless, one can argue that it is positive that at last the Punjab government has given pause to its obsession with roads in Lahore and diverted its attention to the rest of Punjab province. The Punjab government needs to focus on providing the basic necessities to those living in the rural areas. It should work on providing modern facilities in the villages and small towns to discourage the exodus from the rural to the urban areas. This is only possible if the economic opportunities and quality of life are improved in the rural heartland. By ensuring a healthy workforce with skills that are in demand, a society can recover from any crisis and move forward into the future with confidence. The Punjab government therefore needs to invest in human resources by providing good education and other social benefits like better health facilities and living conditions rather than confining itself to road projects, whether urban or rural. *