LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif attended a briefing on the Aashiyana Housing project in Saroba Atari on Sunday. Shahbaz said that the housing scheme would provide modern residential facilities to the poor labourers, orphans, widows including families of the people who have died in the line of duty.
He said balloting for the first phase of the scheme would be held on May 1 and keys of 400 houses would be given to the lucky winners of the draw in the next three months. Communication and Works Secretary Major (r) Azam Salman and Lahore Division Commissioner Nadeem Hassan Asif gave a detailed briefing on the construction of the link roads and provision of health, education and sports facilities in the Aashiyana Housing Scheme.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Punjab Land Development Company Chairman Sheikh Allauddin, provincial assembly members, Planning and Development Chairman, senior Board of Revenue members, Housing Secretary, Punjab Information Technology Board Chairman, Information Secretary and senior officers concerned were present at the occasion.
The CM said that approval has also been granted for the Aashiyana Housing Schemes in Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal and Jhelum and the welfare project would be extended to the whole province. He said that initially 3000 two and three marla houses would be constructed under the scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 3 billion. He added that a park, vocational training institute, school, college, hospital, playground and other basic facilities would be available to the residents of the housing schemes.
He said that more than 20,000 applications had been received for the first scheme and a committee had been formed for the scrutiny and verification of the particulars of the applicants so that only eligible people should be allotted the houses. He said if even a single wrong allotment were made it will rout the very purpose of the scheme.
He said that no preference should be given to the applicants a paying lump-sum amount for the houses and their applications should be treated with the others for balloting. He said that 10 per cent quota had been reserved for the widows, orphans, disabled and the families of the people who had died in the line of duty and the government would itself make a down payment of Rs 250,000 for the houses of these people.
He added that the Aashiyana Housing Schemes would be completely corruption-free and the media should point out if any shortcoming was detected. Kalima Chowk Inspection: Later, the CM reviewed the pace of construction of the flyover and underpasses at Kalma Chowk. He said that the project would result in availability of modern communication facilities to the citizens and improve the traffic flow.
He said maximum tree plantation should be undertaken for its beautification. He also expressed satisfaction over the alternative traffic plan during the construction of the flyover and directed that a similar plan should be devised for the other side during construction work of the flyover so that people should not face any difficulty.
He hoped that the Kalma Chowk flyover would be completed by August 14 and directed Parks and Horticulture Authority Director General Abdul Jabbar Shaheen to evolve a comprehensive plan regarding the Kalma Chowk Project. He also issued instructions for evolving a project for developing Changa Manga and the Jalo Park as modern recreational spots.
