Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar presided over a high-level meeting at the civil secretariat on Monday in which a detailed review of public welfare schemes and other ongoing projects relating to backward areas was held. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that development schemes pertaining to backward areas especially southern Punjab should be completed within their timeframe and added that concerned departments should proactively work to provide relief to the people living in far-flung areas. He said that early completion of clean drinking water schemes and development projects relating to healthcare and education sectors should be ensured. He informed that Punjab government will setup arazi centres in remote areas under land record information management system. Identification of land has been completed for setting up arazi centres which would provide facilities to the people of backward localities. “It is our job to provide facilities to the general public at their doorsteps,” he added. Any delay in completion of ongoing schemes aimed at providing quality health and education facilities to the backward areas is intolerable. The CM expressed his strong indignation over delay in some schemes and reprimanded the concerned officers. He made it clear that negligence in providing better facilities of healthcare to the common man is not tolerable at any cost. “You people are busy in drafting PC-1 while general public badly needs healthcare facilities. Now affairs would not be run like this,” he added. He said that one has to work on urgent basis and any paper work would not help anymore. “Practical steps should be taken instead of any photo session and real results should be shown. The instructions should be implemented in letter and spirit,” he added. He said that difficulties of the people should be realised and action will be taken against those failing to solve the problems of the common man. He said that special attention has been paid to social sector development in annual development programme. “Education, healthcare, provision of clean drinking water and durable development of other sectors are our main priorities and a realistic ADP is being designed for these sectors. We have identified priorities for the prosperity of the people and rights will be given to the people belonging to southern Punjab and other less-developed areas. Funds have been increased for the development of backward areas,” he said. He also said that fruits of development projects will reach the common man if they are completed well in time. That is why; a system of regular monitoring of welfare schemes has been designed. The CM said that he knows the problems of backward areas as he belongs to the most backward area. He directed the concerned officials to ensure achieving the targets of different sectors including health, education, agriculture, industry and clean drinking water. Chief secretary, SMBR, home additional chief secretary and secretaries of concerned departments attend the meeting. Separately, CM Buzdar took notice of the murder of a mother and daughter in Jahania and sought a report from inspector general police. He instructed that an investigation be carried out into the murder and the accused be arrested as earliest as possible. Buzdar also expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the loss of precious lives due to road accidents in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur. He extended sympathies to the bereaved heirs and directed the administration to provide best treatment facilities to the injured. He has also sought a report about the accidents. Published in Daily Times, December 11th 2018.