LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that bringing a marked improvement in the standard of living of the poor strata is an important agenda of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government. Welfare-oriented programs worth billions of rupees are being carried out successfully to achieve this agenda.
He said this while taking to elected representatives southern Punjab on Tuesday. The CM said that important steps have been taken by implementing a composite development strategy to develop the deprived and far-flung areas. Similarly, an efficient organisation with the name of Punjab Social Protection Authority has been established to carry out the agenda of welfare programmes in the province. Meanwhile, a historic development programme worth Rs 635 billion is being carried out during the current fiscal year. This is the biggest development programme in the history of the province which would usher towards stable economic development, as special attention has been laid on the development of the social sector in the Annual Development Program (ADP), he said.
Shehbaz Sharif said that the development of less developed and deprived areas is part of governmental priorities and said that ample resources are being utilised for their development and prosperity under the ADP. He said that exemplary steps have been taken to improve the quality of life of the people under the development strategy of Punjab government. He added that improvement in education, healthcare, agriculture, water and social sectors has been given due importance. He said that rulers from the southern Punjab came into power in the past but nothing was done to overcome the backwardness of the area. On the other hand, elements enjoying high offices through hollow sloganeering of rights of the people of southern Punjab had totally forgotten the people after coming into power.
He said that credit goes to the PML-N for giving special importance to the development of the region. The government has implemented upon a solid strategy to get rid of backwardness of the area as well as to heal the wounds of the past, he added. Meanwhile, a mega project of provision of clean drinking water is also being started from southern Punjab.
