A high-level meeting was held in Bahawalpur on Wednesday to review the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the current fiscal year, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab, Mr. Fuad Hashim Rabbani. The meeting was attended by all Special Secretaries of the South Punjab Secretariat.
During the session, detailed discussions were held on the challenges confronting ongoing development projects. Strategic directives were issued to ensure timely completion and quality assurance of schemes proposed in the upcoming budget.
Mr. Rabbani revealed that Rs. 131 billion had been utilized on 2,233 development schemes this fiscal year. He emphasized the need for a structured mechanism to ensure timely and quality execution of new projects.
Key announcements included the establishment of burn units in Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan, and funding for a medical college in Layyah. Additionally, Rs. 750 million have been allocated to create a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Free Zone in Cholistan to boost halal meat exports and improve the livelihoods of local farmers. Another Rs. 1 billion will be spent on distributing free livestock to underprivileged widows.
Further, Rs. 750 million have been set aside to establish a cancer department at Nishtar Hospital, and 32 Rural Health Centers will be upgraded under the Chief Minister’s Program. A separate allocation of Rs. 1 billion will support shrimp farming initiatives across South Punjab.
The Additional Chief Secretary instructed rigorous monitoring of development projects to ensure transparency and quality.
Special Secretaries briefed the meeting on environmental and infrastructure progress. They reported that Rs. 500 million had been spent on ecosystem preservation at Lal Suhanra National Park, and 83% of a 1,500-acre afforestation project in Ghazi Ghat has been completed.
Of the 519 Basic Health Units (BHUs) in the region, 326 have been upgraded, while 329 road and building projects have also been completed during the year. The meeting further recommended the introduction of Smart Classrooms in government colleges across South Punjab to enhance digital learning infrastructure.