Says Rs 150 billion will be spent for the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads
Saaf Pani project to provide clean drinking water to 3.5 crore people in rural areas
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated a 43 km long road in Wahndo, Kamoki under the Pakiyan Sarkan—Saukhey Painday programme.
The road was built at a cost of Rs 38 crore.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the chief minister said that the 43 km long road constructed in Wahndo is of the highest standard and that the programme of construction and rehabilitation of rural roads is being implemented in a speedy manner so that the best transport facilities can be made available to the people living in the area. He said that a sum of Rs 150 billion rupees will be spent for the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads under Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads programme till 2017-18 which will complete the work of construction and repair of rural roads in the province.
He said that Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads programme was started last month and all rural roads would be completed by 2017-18 which will bring economic revolution and prosperity in the lives of people living in rural areas.
Sharif said that the project of the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads is one of the biggest programmes in the history of the country. He said that farm to market roads programme was started by the then chief minister of Punjab Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in 1985 and a network of roads was laid in villages but no attention was paid to maintenance and upkeep of the roads which meant that the roads were destroyed and the people living in rural had to face huge problems. He said that funds allocated for repair of these roads were misappropriated while the masses suffered.
Shehbaz Sharif said that keeping in view the problems of the people of rural areas, Punjab government has launched the revolutionary and historic programme of construction and repair of rural roads and an effective system has been put in place in this regard under which a network of roads is being created in villages. He said that all these roads are carpeted and he is personally monitoring the programme. He said that corruption and incompetence are intolerable and stern action would be taken against those who did not fulfill their responsibilities.
The chief minister congratulated the Provincial Minister for Communication and Works Tanvir Aslam Malik, C & W secretary, contractors and concerned institutions over the high standard of construction of rural roads. He said that Punjab government is implementing public welfare projects under this policy and every penny of the public money is being spent honestly on development projects. He said that third-party audit of the standard of construction of rural roads in Rahim Yar Khan under Pakiyan Sarkan—Saukhey Painday programme was conducted and a positive report was received which showed the high standard of the construction work.
Addressing the provincial minister and secretary, the chief minister said that they should check the standard of construction of rural roads in far-flung areas as the aim of the project is to facilitate people living in rural areas.
The chief minister said that limit of excel load of vehicles on these roads has been fixed and no one will be allowed to ply overloaded vehicles as overloading results in dilapidation of roads. He said that proper maintenance of these roads is essential and excel load should be checked and proper arrangements made in this regard. He called upon the officials concerned to perform these duties and to look after of these roads in an efficient manner.
Addressing the people present on the occasion, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Punjab government, in addition to the roads programme, had also started a huge programme for provision of potable water to the rural population. He said that Saaf Pani project had been started from south Punjab and a sum of Rs 17 billion had been provided for this purpose in the current year. He said that potable water was the right of every citizen. He said it was regrettable that rich people drank mineral water while drinking water was not available to the people living in rural areas. He said that the Punjab government had decided to change this dynamic and make drinking water available to 3.5 crore people of rural areas by 2017-18.
