Daily Times

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a marathon six-and-a-half-hours review meeting held in the Planning and Development (P&D) Board in which important decisions were made about education, health, agriculture, livestock, roads and other sectors.

Under CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s Suthra Punjab program, the largest comprehensive sanitation system in the history of Pakistan will be implemented from mid-November. The launching of Suthra Punjab will be started in 100 tehsils of Punjab by 15-October. In two weeks, the cleaning process will be started in 100 tehsils under the outsourced model. Under the second phase of Suthra Punjab, the cleaning process will also be started in 34 more tehsils from November 15. Approval for Chief Minister Fund for Solar Panel Production and Manufacturing was granted for local production of solar panels in Punjab. In November, people will start getting solar panels under the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s program. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed to complete Pakistan’s first official autism school project in Lahore within one year.

In the meeting, 482 schemes of construction and repair of 11 thousand km roads in Punjab were reviewed. Revamping of 581 primary health centres of South Punjab has started and the target of completion has been set by next January. Proposals for health screening of students and establishment of thalassemia centre were also reviewed. The Chief Minister directed to ensure cleanliness in the hospitals across Punjab. She directed to undertake immediate steps for the construction of Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Institute Sargodha and Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital. She directed to ensure cardiology treatment facilities in every city.

CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif sought a deadline for the police body cam program. As many as 11000 cattle will be given to women in the villages of 17 districts at a cost of Rs. 2 billion. Punjab’s first livestock card for farmers will be launched next month, 20,000 farmers will be able to get food, medicine and equipment etc. through the Farmer Livestock Card.

In the meeting, agroforestry project was approved on government waste land under which onions, potatoes and olives etc. will be cultivated. It was decided to conduct a wildlife census for the first time in Punjab for the wildlife protection. The launch of “eco-tourism” project in Changa Manga and the proposal to build the first model fish market of the province in Lahore were reviewed. It was agreed to form a Shrimp Farming Export Company. A briefing was given about the shrimp pilot experimental farm on 100 acres in Muzaffargarh. A principle approval was given to establish a Special Directorate for shrimp farming. It was also approved to increase the area for shrimp farming to 50 thousand acres along with conducting farmer training and establishing value added chain. Approval was given to establish hatcheries for Pangasius and other fish species in Lahore and DG Khan.

In the briefing, it was informed that Plant for Pakistan is being monitored by drones. A body cam pilot project has been launched in Sheikhupura with 30 cameras. The deadline for the completion of the second phase of Smart Safe City has been set for next March. Monitoring of entrances and exits, free Wi-Fi, pink buttons have also become functional in Sheikhupura.

The Chief Minister directed to increase the number of cameras in all cities as per need. In the meeting, it was approved to start Dastak services in 9 more districts of Punjab and for the issuance of carbon credit scheme for the first time in Punjab. A project of demarcation of smog area through Geographic Information System mapping will also be launched. A detailed briefing was given on Laptop Scheme, Undergraduate Scholarship program. The CM directed to ensure payment of fees for talented children. She approved the establishment of Punjab’s first film fund.

The CM directed to undertake steps to provide employment for the first batch being passed out under CM Skills Development Initiative. The CM Punjab ordered early completion of metro track for all cities. A briefing was given on Margalla to Jhika Gali Tourist Glass Train Project. 3D footage of Model Agriculture Mall was presented. Approval for a uniform design for Multan, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Sahiwal was given.

It was informed during the briefing that more than 35 thousand farmers have received Kisan cards in Punjab. It was decided to solarize 7500 tube wells in the first phase in Punjab and it was agreed to complete it by next June. It was decided to implement the Chief Minister Agriculture Graduate Program in the concerned Union Council. Measures to increase export of agricultural produce along with utilizing government land to increase canola cultivation in Punjab were reviewed. Approval for design and other aspects of the first phase 9500 green tractor were given. Green tractor will not be sold due to certain features, colour and number and March 31st deadline has been fixed.

CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed to undertake measures for the construction of airstrip for air ambulance landing along with carrying out mapping to ascertain the need for rescue services. She directed to provide rescue ambulance service in every city after determining its need. The scope to further extend rescue training in universities and colleges was reviewed.

A comprehensive review on the progress of 7 programs, 70 projects, 77 Chief Minister’s Initiatives and 770 Schemes was made in the meeting. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “Five years have been given to serve the people instead of holding processions. Alhamdulillah, Punjab is taking the lead in every sector.”