The new local government system in Punjab will be operational in two months and a modern urban development system is being introduced in the province, according to Punjab Provincial Secretary Planning & Development Iftikhar Ali Sahoo.
The secretary was speaking to a 45-member delegation of Punjab Youth Assembly led by Faheem Ahmed Khan, along with senior projects manager PILDAT and Punjab Sports Board Director Muhammad Anees Sheikh at the P&D Complex, here on Saturday.
He said that the Punjab government was committed to improving service delivery. Giving a presentation on development projects, the secretary P&D said that the Punjab government had initiated a number of development projects relating to different sectors in the province. He said development of south Punjab is the top priority of the government. “All energy projects will be completed on time,” he added
He said that the Orange line train project of Lahore would be functional by 2018 and that the Lahore Knowledge Park would start in the current financial year. Reputed universities will be invited to open their campuses in the LKP.
He said that Punjab Planning & Development Department played a vital role in the socio-economic development of the province, adding that 29 percent GDP of the country was being contributed by P&D.
The Punjab government has increased its development budget from Rs 400 billion to Rs 550 billion in the current fiscal year 2016-17, he said, which go to various sectors including education, health, security, agriculture, water supply & sanitation, and infrastructure.
As many as 11 million children have been registered in 52,000 public schools under the Khadim-e-Punjab School Programme, he added. The Punjab education endowment funds supported 200,000 students in higher education and 145,000 teachers have been employed on merit for public schools. Citing several projects of the provincial government, he named the Saaf Pani Project, interest-free loans and the Kisan Package for small farmers.
The secretary said the Punjab Skills Development Programme, Rural Road Programme, Specialised Counter-Terrorism Force, and Safe City, initiated in major cities, are some of the main projects of the government.
He said that security cameras are being installed on major roads for policing and the Khidmat Card scheme has been launched to facilitate the disabled.
He said that the Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park was being executed through Chinese investment and that major hospitals are being revamped.
Project Manager Eman Khan, Manager IT P&D Muhammad Haseeb and other officials of the P&D Department also attended the briefing session.
