Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over a high-level meeting at his office on Thursday to review the performance of the housing sector. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that there are vast opportunities for investment in the housing sector. Due to increase in population, there is a need to establish new cities. He said that Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme will materialise the dream of the low-income people of owning a house. He said that participation of the private sector will bring positive results in the housing sector. The project of construction of houses for low-income families has to be completed at the earliest. Provincial ministers Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema MPA, Chief Secretary, Vice Chairman LDA Sheikh Muhammad Imran, Deputy Chairman Naya Pakistan Housing Authority, finance secretary, DG LDA and others attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over a meeting at his office here on Thursday in which improvement of traffic system in Lahore and proposals for the eradication of difficulties of the citizens faced by them were reviewed in detail.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that Lahore city is facing traffic problems due to increase in population and number of vehicles. There is a need to take immediate steps for improving the traffic system in the city as citizens face mental stress due to traffic congestions. He directed the line departments to devise an effective traffic plan and ensure its implementation, as well. The recommendations of traffic engineering study should be implemented to ensure smooth flow of traffic in rushy areas. He said that every possible step should be taken for smooth flow of traffic at Bhatti Chowk(Data Darbar), Shimla Pahari Chowk, Garhi Shahu Chowk(Allama Iqbal Road), Workshop Chowk(Outfall Road), Allah Hu Chowk, Akbar Chowk(Maulana Shoukat Ali Road), Hussain Chowk(Noor Jehan Road), Regal Chowk at Mall Road and Babo Sabo Interchange Chowk. Improvements should be introduced in these areas through the traffic management plan and the Circular Road will also be uplifted. He directed that impediments disrupting traffic should be immediately removed and Ferozpur Road, Jail Road, Mall Road and Canal Road should be developed as a model. Meanwhile, parking facilities should be enhanced in the city and the construction of new parking plazas should be examined. He further directed that traffic master plan for Lahore should be developed and added that effective traffic system will facilitate the citizens. The line departments will have to come up to new challenges of traffic management resulting due to increase in population, he added. Commissioner Lahore gave a briefing about the traffic management plan. Mussarat Jamshed Cheema MPA, Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, DG LDA, Chief Traffic Office and others attended the meeting.
Separately, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives due to fire in a van near Bhera. He expressed heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families. The chief minister directed the administration to provide best treatment facilities to the injured and sought a report about the incident.