Govt spending billions on country’s development: Shahbaz

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was spending billions of rupees for the country’s development.
He said that standard, transparent and rapid completion of developmental projects was the government’s policy and a corruption-free culture has been promoted in Punjab. He said that every penny of public money was being spent on the people’s welfare.
He said that the journey of progress and prosperity which had started during the last five years was being continued. He said that tens of thousands of poor families were benefiting from the welfare projects and implementation of such programmes would be continued in future as well.
He said that service to the people was a form of worship and his party had always set new records in this regard, adding that promises made to the people would be honoured.
He was talking to lawmakers of various districts who met him. The elected representatives informed the CM about the pace of implementation of development and welfare projects in their respective areas.
Shahbaz said that through honesty, hard work and public service, Punjab would be made a model province with regard to progress and development. He said that after successful experience in Lahore, metro bus projects were being started in Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.
He said that the way Lahore metro bus project has been praised at both local and international levels had no precedent in the recent history. Shahbaz said that Lahore metro bus project is an excellent example of utilisation of national resources on the people.
He said that metro bus projects in Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad would be a masterpiece of standard and transparency and people would avail speedy, economical and comfortable transport facilities. He said that these projects would be completed at the same speed at which it was executed in Lahore.
He said that modern infrastructure played a key role in rapid development and promotion of economic activities, therefore, Rs 91 billion was being spent in the current year for infrastructure development.
He said that a network of roads, bridges and underpasses was being laid in the province and more than Rs 29 billion were being spent on the construction of new roads.
The CM said that in addition to Lahore, billions of rupees were also being utilised on the provision of infrastructure and facilities in Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala.
He said that completion of development projects on priority basis in less-developed areas was the policy of the government and it was his party which set the example of utilisation of more developmental funds than the ratio of population in southern Punjab.
He said that Rs 93 billion was being spent on the uplift of southern Punjab which was 32 percent of the total developmental budget. He said that projects such as mobile health units, Daanish schools and new hospitals have been started in southern Punjab on priority basis.