May 4, 2006	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1427

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FAISALABAD, May 3: Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has announced uplift funds for those union councils which will enrol maximum number of people in the ruling PML during its membership campaign.

Speaking at the first local body convention at Bohranwali grounds adjacent to the Jinnah Garden here on Wednesday, the chief minister said the membership drive would be completed within a month while party elections would be held at the provincial level.

He said that two of the union councils from every town in the province would be given a special grant of Rs5 million each for enrolling maximum people.

We were well aware of miseries of the masses as well as problems being confronted to elected representatives in local councils in delivering the goods, he said.

The chief minister said that it had been decided in principal that the present leadership in local body institutions would be provided a maximum support.

He pointed out that the present regime had a blind confidence on local body institutions, but other political parties had no belief in this system. He said efforts were also being made to pay honorarium to special male and female members of local bodies.

Pervaiz Elahi announced that an equal share of funds would be given to union councils in Lahore and Faisalabad to convert the two cities into modern ones.

He said that Rs5 billion had been spent on the uplift and modernisation of the Faisalabad district while other projects of Rs4 billion were also being completed.

Around Rs14 billion, he said, had been allocated for the establishment of industrial estates in Faisalabad where Rs1 million people would be given jobs.

The chief minister also announced the construction of a ring road around the city with an estimated cost of Rs6 billion. He also approved a six-lane Faisalabad-Sargodha Road project up to Motorway Interchange at an estimated amount of Rs200 million.

In addition, he said, that Rs250 million would be incurred on the extension of Canal Road while Rs30 million had been set aside for remodelling of the master plan.

Earlier, the local body convention was addressed by Federal Textile Industry Minister Mushtaq Ali Cheema, PA Speaker Muhammad Afzal Sahi, Punjab Communications Minister and PML secretary-general Chaudhry Zaheeruddin Khan, Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister Dr Muhammad Shafique, City District Nazim Rana Zahid Tauseef and MNA Asim Nazir.

The chief minister also inspected the work on under-construction Cardiology Centre which was being completed with an estimated cost of Rs677 million.

Meanwhile, the chief minister met delegations of traders, industrialists, politicians and people belonging to various segments at the local Circuit House.

On the demand of the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, he announced the establishment of a training centre for the skilled staff in Faisalabad.

The chief minister also announced a cash reward of Rs5 million for the local police and gallantry award for DPO Muhammad Amin Wains for nabbing and killing 73 hardened criminals in 53 encounters.