RAWALPINDI, Dec 26: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Monday announced a Rs300 million uplift package as well as provision of gas for the rural areas of Rawalpindi. Speaking at a public rally held in connection with the inauguration of Dhoke Mangtal Girls Degree College, the chief minister also announced Rs5 million fund each for 35 union councils of Potohar Town.

Mr Elahi also announced ownership rights for the dwellers of Bhosa Godown katchi abadis and assured the residents of provision of all basic facilities including gas and water.

The rally was also addressed by Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat, City District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas and other towns nazims.

The chief minister said Rawalpindi had received Rs18 billion during the last four years for development works across the district.

He said Punjab Ambulance Service would be introduced in Rawalpindi in the next four months. He directed the elected representatives and authorities concerned to complete the ongoing development projects at the earliest in order to make Rawalpindi a ‘fort of the ruling PML’.

Mr Elahi said 50,000 teachers would be appointed across the province next year under the Parha Likha Punjab Programme of the provincial government, adding that free text books would also be distributed among the students.

He said the ‘Para Likha Punjab’ programme had become a reality and restoration of teachers respect and due status was priority of the government.

Talking about Kalabagh Dam, the chief minister said construction of the reservoir was inevitable for the survival of Punjab, and called upon the people to discourage the political parties opposing the mega project.

He said such parties were pursuing dual policies in Sindh and Punjab, and were not sincere to the development of the provinces.

“We want immediate construction of Kalabagh Dam for a fertile Punjab and prosperous Pakistan, and would not bow heads before the political forces opposing the reservoir,” he added.

Mr Elahi blamed Pakistan People’s Party for the existing price hike and expensive electricity in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, City District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas said development projects worth billions of rupees had been executed in Rawalpindi during the last four years and after lifting of ban on recruitments, 6,000 people had been given jobs in the district.

Nazim Rawal Town Shaikh Rashid Shafique said the project of construction of Gunj Mandi and Holy Family Hospital roads had been launched under the chief minister’s development package besides water supply and sewerage project costing Rs5 billion.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said funds provided by the chief minister for development of Rawalpindi were unprecedented and the city would prove to be the bastion of PML in the next general elections.

Meanwhile, the chief minister held a meeting with union council nazims and naib nazims, town nazims, councillors and lady councillors at the Punjab House Rawalpindi.

He said the government had strengthened the system of district governments so that problems of the masses could be resolved at the local level.

He said no nation could prosper without education; therefore, 64,000 primary schools in the province had been upgraded while missing facilities would be made available in the remaining schools within a year.

He said maximum powers had been delegated to the local government institutions for strengthening the democratic setup. He said staff would be posted at Dhoke Munshi, Dhama Syedan and Rahmatabad colleges soon.