Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman has said that 47 mega projects worth Rs 360 billion have been initiated to facilitate the people as the government has started a multitude of roads infrastructure improvement projects.

He said that 115 billion rupees would be spent on revamping road networks including Chichawatni-Layyah, Chiragabad M4 Interchange, Jhang-Shorkot, Depalpur-Pakpattan-Vehari and Hasilpur-Bahawalnagar road.

He said this during meetings with provincial ministers and MPAs who met him, said a handout issued here on Friday.

The chief minister said that rehabilitation of the Vehari-Multan dual road and Faisalabad-Chiniot-Sargodha road would cost Rs.35 billion while construction of the University of Taunsa in DG Khan would cost Rs.2 billion, he mentioned.

The CM explained that the establishment of Viqar-un-Nisa Women University Rawalpindi, Indus University Rajanpur and Emerson University Multan has been approved while the construction of college faculty development centre, Mian Channu city bypass, Thali Chowk Rahim Yar Khan to Iqbalabad N5 dual road, Daira Din Panah road to Head Taunsa road was being started as well.

Similarly, work was being started on Alipur-Syedpur, Sahiwal-Shahpur-Sargodha, Sargodha-Makhdoom M2 Interchange and Dhonkal More-Sohdra Wazirabad bypass projects, he stated.

The CM maintained that construction of the Salam-Sargodha road and service roads along Sh. Khalifa Bridge in RY Khan was being started too. Bahawalpur N5 to Jhangra East Interchange, Lower Topa Murree to Chak Pandori via Kotli Satyan and Lilla Interchange M2 Jhelum via PD Khan road were also being made, he said.

Mian Channu N5 to Abdul Hakim Interchange M4, Gujranwala to M2 Interchange Kot Sarwar and Karam Dad Qureshi to Qasba Gujrat dual carriageway have been planned too, he said. Important road networks including MB Din to Sarai Alamgir, Sargodha-Khushab-Mianwali, Kalabagh-Shakar Dara road, Chowkiwala to N55 via Zain Barthi-Kharar Buzdar and Haroonabad-Fort Abbas road would be overhauled, the CM mentioned and noted that 80.29 billion would be utilised for five irrigation projects. The Trimmu Barrage Panjnad Headworks would be upgraded at a cost of Rs.16.80 billion, he said.

The Greater Thal Canal Chobara Branch Canal project would be completed with Rs.19.29 billion while 20.76 billion rupees would be the cost of the Jalalpur canal project’s irrigation systems’ second and third phases.

New Khanki Barrage would cost 23.44 billion, he remarked.

Seven IDAP schemes would also be completed with 31.3 billion, the CM further said and mentioned that Bahawalpur’s South Punjab Civil Secretariat, Bahawalnagar’s mother and child hospital and Rahim Yar Khan’s teaching hospital Sheikh Zayed Phase II were being started soon.

Construction of the emergency and trauma centre at Lahore’s Services Hospital would cost Rs.4.92 billion and the provision of health facilities in the Rakhni area of Barkhan district of Balochistan would cost Rs.590 million. Construction of the University of Applied and Technology Sambrial would cost Rs.5.75 billion, he added.

Three LDA projects were being completed at a cost of Rs.9.7 billion. Alongside, the construction of the Data Ganj Bakhsh flyover would cost Rs.4.90 billion while Rs.1.59 billion would be spent on the Samanabad Morr Multan road underpass, added the CM.

Those who met include Mohsin Leghari, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Ashfa Riaz, Jahanzeb Khichi, Shaukat Lalika, Mian Jalil Ahmad Sharqpuri, Taimur Lali, Hanif Pitafi, Khawaja Daud Sulemani, Sardar Shahabuddin, Saleem Bibi, Sadia Sohail, Omar Farooq, Rana Shahbaz Ahmad, Saeed Ahmad Saeedi, Sonia Ali Raza, Col (retd) Ghazanfar Abbas Shah, Rai Zahoor Ahmad, Sardar Ahmad Ali Dreshak, Ch. Iftikhar Gondal, Ahmad Chatha, SACM Hasaan Khawar and others.

Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D, ACS (Home), administrative secretaries and senior officials were also present.