LAHORE: Budget to include mega projects - Pervaiz opens new underpasses
By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, June 6: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi announced here on Sunday that mega development projects would be launched in the province during the next financial year.
The projects in Lahore would include a Rs20 billion ring road and a Rs450 million dual-carriageway linking Wagah to the city.
The chief minister made the announcement at the inauguration of Jinnah Hospital and Doctors Hospital underpasses on the canal road. The ceremony was attended by district Nazim Mian Amer Mehmood, some provincial ministers including Minister for Communication and Works Chaudhry Zaheerudin, a number of party workers, MPAs and town and union council Nazims.
Mr Pervaiz said the underpasses had been completed ahead of schedule and Rs110 million saved out of the estimated cost of Rs400 million. He said work on the Lahore ring road project would start in July.
The biggest ever road project in the city was aimed at facilitating traffic flow in the city. The ring road would be linked to Azadi Chowk near Minar-i-Pakistan, Chowk Yateem Khana and Garden Town's Kalma Chowk, he said.
He said the Wagah road project would also be started in the next financial year. It would link the border with the city along the BRB canal. Another underpass would be constructed during the next financial year at Dharampura. A 'Mian Mir Hospital' would also be built near the shrine of the saint.
The chief minister said steps had already been taken to make Lahore a model city. The government was allocating huge funds in the next budget for upgrading the sewerage network in the Walled City.
He said funds had already been issued for desilting the main drain of Lahore, hoping that the project would be completed before the start of monsoon season. It was aimed at redressing the perennial problem of inundation of low-lying areas.
The chief minister said adequate funds would be allocated in the next budget for improving sewerage and water supply in big cities. He said he would lay the foundation stone of a Rs1 billion cardiac centre in Multan this month. The hospital would be constructed in a year.
A Rs300 million underpass would be constructed at Rawalpindi's Committee Chowk. Similarly, work had started on the Rs450 million Jhal Khanooana flyover in Faisalabad. "You would see development all over the province," he said.
The chief minister said the government would upgrade all middle schools to high-school level in the next financial year. These schools would be provided all the missing facilities over the next three years.
He said steps would be taken for boosting industrial and agriculture sectors in the next budget. In fact, it would contain schemes for all sectors, he said. The president would soon convene a convention of farmers where he would announce a mega project for boosting the agriculture sector.
The chief minister said the present government had vowed to provide every facility to the poor and provide education to their children. "You cannot bring about prosperity without providing necessary facilities to villages and other neglected areas," he said.
He said from now onwards announcements would be made regarding fortification of the ruling PML and reorganization of all of its wings at all levels. "We have to expand the party and bring more people into its fold."
He welcomed into party's fold MPA Malik Ahad who had recently quitted the PML-N. "More PML-N members from Lahore would soon join us," he added. Mian Amer in his speech requested the chief minister to widen the canal road along the new underpasses.
