LAHORE – Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa on Sunday directed the departments concerned that the ongoing projects included in the development programme of South Punjab be completed during the current financial year by June 30 at all costs and more funds required for completion of the projects be immediately released.
He was chairing a meeting at the commissioner’s office to review development projects of the Multan Division. Nasir said that if any problem is being faced in completion of these projects, it should be brought to his notice. The CS directed the administrative officers to monitor the development projects effectively and ensure utilisation of every penny of development funds in a proper manner.
He asked the Multan commissioner to provide a list of those projects which could be completed by August 14. Nasir disclosed that Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, on his return from China, will inspect these projects. Multan Commissioner Ali Gardazi gave a briefing to the CS regarding the development projects and informed that the pace of work of all development projects has been accelerated and the projects will be completed at the end of the current fiscal year.
Presenting review of receipts, he said that revenue officers have been mobilised and revenue targets will be achieved at all costs. Nasir directed district coordination officers (DCO) to utilise all their resources and powers for achieving revenue targets and evolve an effective strategy for recovering outstanding amounts. He directed that district committees be activated against land mafias and all agriculture and commercial state land be retrieved from illegal occupants.
The CS said that the process of removing encroachments from sides of highways be given priority. Nasir directed DCOs and food deputy directors of four districts that such facilities be provided to growers of wheat in connection with wheat procurement that they prefer selling wheat at procurement centres of the food department. He directed officers that ban should not be imposed on the movement of wheat and the commodity be purchased at the rate fixed by the government.
The CS said that bardana be issued to the farmers according to the record of girdawari and bardana for not more than five days at a time otherwise there will be a rush at other procurement centres. Food Deputy Director Asif Iqbal, giving a briefing to the CS, informed that the Punjab government has fixed a target of 0.5 million and 90,000 tonnes wheat for the Multan Division and all arrangements including supply of bardana and setting up wheat procurement centres have been completed.
He informed that bardana will be issued from April 18 while procurement of wheat will start from April 20. Nasir directed the DCOs to complete the first phase of the census by April 19 and efforts be made that no area is left without census. He informed that funds have been released for this purpose which will be provided within a few days.
DCOs of four districts informed the meeting that the process of census is going on as scheduled. They informed that 70 percent work has been completed while the remaining work will be completed within a few days.
