13 January 2004	Tuesday	20 Ziqa'ad 1424

LAHORE, Jan 12: Of the 224,342 plots developed in the private and public sector housing schemes in the provincial metropolis till date, as many as 118,657 (52.89 per cent) are lying vacant.

This was explained by the Punjab Housing Urban Development and the Public Health Engineering secretary during a meeting here on Monday. Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Rasool presided over the meeting held to review the progress of the work being done in the housing and public health engineering sector.

He said that construction had been completed on 105,685 plots developed in the provincial metropolis so far. The government was taking steps to encourage construction on the vacant plots as well.

He said that the housing department had developed 116 housing schemes in the province. Work was in progress on another 16 schemes. The department had been devolved at tehsil level and was planning the development of 'sasti basti' housing schemes in rural areas and housing projects for the expatriate Pakistanis in the major cities.

He said that 3,387 urban and rural water supply schemes and 4,248 drainage schemes had been completed in the province during the current financial year. Work was in progress on 500 rural and urban water supply and drainage schemes and rehabilitation of 250 water supply schemes. As many as 2.3 million people were expected to benefit from the schemes.