Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar reached Taunsa Sharif on Saturday for the first time after taking oath of the office.

He announced development projects worth billions of rupees and inaugurated and laid foundation stone of various projects. The Punjab chief minister also inaugurated a dialysis unit in Taunsa. He laid the foundation stone of Boys Degree College, a police station and the buildings of Tehsil Complex and addressed members of national and provincial assemblies in Taunsa. Addressing them, the chief minister said a change has come and all poor areas including Taunsa Sharif are transforming into developed cities. He announced four years BS degree programme at boys and girls colleges of Taunsa, giving status of government technical institute to vocational centre, four primary schools for girls as well as new public parks and the construction of playgrounds in 10 schools. The Punjab CM said the Indus Hospital consisting of 200 beds and equipped with modern technology will be set up in Taunsa and during his next visit, he will lay the foundation stone of this project. The Message Higher Secondary School will be set up in Taunsa under the Indus Foundation. The Insaf Health Card will be launched in Dera Ghazi Khan soon. Model Rural Health Centre will be set up in Wohwa. Emergency, orthopedic, surgical, gynae and other units will be available in this 60-bed hospital. Sakhi Sarwar dispensary will be upgraded to Rural Health Centre. Construction of Wohwa Road and five embankments will be constructed for the protection of the life of the people. He said 15 small dams will be constructed to preserve rainwater. After the renovation of Kamal and City Parks in Taunsa Sharif, they will be handed over to the Parks & Horticulture Authority. Taunsa will be made into a beautiful city. Street lights, water supply and sewerage, tuff tiles and beautification of entry and exit points will be done at the cost of Rs 80 crore. Nine projects of extension and construction of roads will be completed in Taunsa Tehsil at the cost of Rs 3 billion. A 10 kilometre long Taunsa bypass will be constructed. A 10-kilometre long road of the city will be constructed. Two kilometres long connecting road will be constructed until Sasti Basti. A 23 kilometre long road from N55 to Kharar Buzdar will be restored after repair and construction. Construction activity of road from Taunsa to Musakhel will be speeded up. Efforts are being made to speedily construct Taunsa-Leyya Bridge. Livestock farm in Taunsa and a model cattle market in Kot Qasrani will be constructed. Special economic zones will be set up for development and progress of the people. A special mobile industrial training van will be provided for the technical training. Interest free loans up to Rs 200,000 will be provided to skilled persons through the Punjab Small Industrial Corporation and up to Rs 50,000 loans will be provided through Akhuwat. A cricket coaching centre will also be set up in Taunsa with the cooperation of Pakistan Cricket Board and sports grounds will be constructed at the Union Council level. He said Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa are included in the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Housing Scheme. Passport offices and more centres of the National Database & Registration Authority will be set up in Taunsa. He said an amount of Rs 3 billion has been allocated for the elimination of poverty under the Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project. Activities and events that promote our culture will soon begin.

Addressing the gathering, Punjab CM Sardar Usman Buzdar said PM Imran Khan has selected a Member of the Provincial Assembly from the poorest tehsil of Taunsa and he will come up to his expectations. He said resources have been diverted to the poor areas and problems of all areas including Taunsa will be resolved. Taunsa will be made into a district.

“All the resources are for you and you have a complete right on them,” he said adding that Taunsa Sharif will be made into the most modern tehsil of Pakistan.

He said the number of arazi centres will be increased from 180 to 800. In the first phase, 120 arazi centres will be added and mobile arazi centres will be also provided. The Board of Revenue has started the process of settlement to resolve problems about land in tribal areas. The jurisdiction of 1122 will increase wherever needed. Koh-e-Suleman has been included in the tourism plan. The project of steel bridge in Fort Minro will be completed this year. He said he seeks apologies for visiting this area late but he is extremely busy and works for 18 hours.

Published in Daily Times, November 18^th 2018.