LAHORE, May 8: The chief minister directed on Thursday all district police officers (DPOs) to arrest proclaimed offenders and take stern action against their harbourers however influential they might be.

Pervaiz Elahi issued the direction during a meeting with MNAs, MPAs, Nazims, DCOs and DPOs of Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh.

The chief minister asked the DPOs to prepare a list of proclaimed offenders and start arresting them so that the law and order situation could be improved.

He also directed the DPOs to regularly inspect police stations. Arrest of culprits, recovery of stolen goods and treatment to people should be the criteria for checking the efficiency of police, he said.

The process of investigation should be made transparent and innocent people should not be implicated in false cases, he said.

The chief minister said modern equipment were being provided to police to improve their working.

He said Rs18 billion had been earmarked for reforming the education sector under a three-year reforms programme. Under the plan, Rs6 billion would be spent every year and an implementation wing had been set up to ensure 100 per cent utility of funds.

He said the government would buy all wheat from growers and make all efforts to resolve their problems. He asked the MNAs and MPAs to inspect the wheat procurement centres and convey to the government any shortcomings so that the process could be improved.

He said the government was planning to provide natural gas in every district and tehsil in the province. It was negotiating with the federal government for the purpose and would soon announce the provision of the facility.

Mr Elahi said the government believed in the continuation and fortification of the local government system. It would facilitate coordination among parliamentarians and local body leaders for the resolution of the problems of the people and effective development of the province.

The meeting was also attended by Science and Technology Minister Awais Leghari, MNA Sardar Nasrullah Dareshak and ministers Raja Basharat, Arshad Lodhi and Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak.