Daily Times

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar announced an Rs9.48 billion development package for Bhakkar for the completion of 106 development projects. He inaugurated 76 development projects worth Rs1.22 billion and laid the foundation stone of 26 schemes valuing Rs1.12 billion.

He inaugurated the revamping scheme of 48 kilometre long roads under RAP phase-I at DC office Bhakkar. Rs50.76 crore is spent on the project under Naya Pakistan Manzalain Asaan Project. He inaugurated 20 roads and drainage projects under community development program phase-I. 42 schemes are completed with a cost of Rs40 crore under CDP phase-I. He also inaugurated 10 roads’ construction and 17 water drainage schemes valuing 22 crores under CDP phase-II. He laid the foundation stone of 26 projects of Rs1.12 billion. He laid the foundation stone of thal university and five roads construction projects of 63 km length under RAP phase-II with a cost of Rs66 crore. He also laid the foundation stone of 12 km long ten roads’ construction and nine water drainage projects under CDP phase-II. Rs17 crore will be spent on it. The CM laid the foundation stone of the model bazaar valuing Rs8 crore.

Talking to the media, CM said DHQ hospital will be upgraded and cardiac centre will be established in Bhakkar while trauma centres will also be made in THQ hospitals of Darya Khan and Mankera. Bhakkar circuit house will be renovated, 70 roads will be repaired and five drainage and water supply schemes will be completed, he added. He said 11 health projects, five school education schemes, four higher education projects and three livestock projects will also be completed in Bhakkar. Four local bodies, TEVTA, police and rescue schemes are also included in the district development package, he said.

Meanwhile, 234-acre land is reserved for thal university and Rs23 crore is released. The thal university act has been approved by the cabinet and the same will be presented before the assembly, he added. The CM disclosed that the PM requested for dualization of the 237 km long MM Road in PPP mode. He regretted that the greater thal canal project was put on the back burner for 13 long years. Now, Rs1.5 billion has been paid for acquiring land for the project. This is the largest irrigation sector project after the Taunsa Barrage which will irrigate more than 17 lac acre land, he added.

Giving the details, the CM said Mankera Branch will be completed in the first phase and Chobara Branch will be completed in the second phase. Work on water supply and drainage projects will be started in Bhakkar in December with a cost of Rs5 billion, he said. 320 Bhakkar schools will be upgraded and 25 crores are released for Daanish school as well, the CM added. Rs40 crore is earmarked for arts council building; 12 roads are completed and work is in progress on eight other roads, he said. A cricket ground is developed with Rs7 crore in Bhakkar city while Rs5 crore is spent on a cricket stadium in Kaloorkot, he continued. A cricket ground will be developed in Mankera tehsil with Rs5 crore, he added and disclosed that child protection centre will also be instituted in Bhakkar with a cost of Rs2 crore. Meanwhile, livestock farm upgradation will be completed at Rs18 crore, he said. The ADP schemes will be completed with Rs10.35 billion. 13 thousand recruitments are made in police and 550 new vehicles are also given to the police department, the CM added.

The CM said 120 DHQ and THQ hospitals are being revamped besides the 200-250 bed mother & child hospital. 53 lac families will be given sehat cards and 2.93 crore families will be registered this year for health insurance. 11 crore population will benefit from the health card scheme, he added. Rs60 billion are reserved for universal health insurance this year and Rs1.5 billion are approved for the procurement of the corona vaccine, he added. Approval is granted to establish five new hospitals, he said and added that work is in progress on Nishtar Hospital phase-II Multan, Sheikh Zayed Hospital phase-II Rahim Yar Khan, Cardiology Hospital DG Khan, Mother & Child Hospital Ganga Ram Lahore and Mother & Child Hospital Sialkot. Similarly, six new universities have been established and cabinet approval is granted for nine universities. 32 new colleges will be established by June and 15 thousand students will be given Rehmatul-Lil Alameen Scholarships, he added.

The CM said 2500 lecturers are recruited through PPSC and a request is made to hire additional three thousand lecturers. The establishment of ten new cement plants is approved and ten more units will also be built, he said. This will result in three billion dollars’ local and direct investment. The number of arazi record centres has been increased from 152 to 400 and 8 thousand Dahi Marakaz-e-Maal will be set up in every revenue circle by the end of this year, he stated. 15 arazi centres are operational in Bhakkar and 13 more will also be built, the CM said. It’s my maiden visit to Bhakkar and it looks like DG Khan to me. I have an understanding of the deprivation of this area, he added. The farmers received good rates of wheat and sugarcane crops and facilities were provided at procurement centres as the bumper wheat crop has been produced. One million farmers are receiving a direct subsidy through kisan cards and more farmers will be included in this scheme, he said.

Replying to the questions of the media, the CM said state lands worth Rs450 billion have been retrieved in an anti-encroachment drive. Parliamentarians are my support and we will remain unified. There is no difference or squabble with anybody.

The police were used for political purposes in the past but the incumbent government empowered the police department and provided resources to it, concluded the CM.