August 10, 2007	Friday	Rajab 25, 1428

SIALKOT, Aug 9: The Punjab government has approved two labour colonies in Sialkot and allocated Rs200 million for the purpose. Punjab Minister for Industries Muhammad Ajmal Cheema said this while addressing businessmen at the auditorium of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.

Both labour colonies will consist of 500 flats each and will be constructed on 25 acres each along Sialkot-Wazirabad Road and Saidpur-Gondal-Sialkot Road.

Mr Cheema said Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi had also approved a 2,500-flats housing colony in Sialkot for the low-income people.

He said the Punjab government had released Rs45 million to the Punjab Small Industries Corporation to upgrade the Sialkot Export Processing Zone.

He said he was concerned about the slow construction of the Social Security Hospital in Sialkot. The minister said the contractor had been fined and blacklisted for delaying the completion of the project. He announced the Government Commerce College would be upgraded.

GREEN RICKSHAWS: Mr Cheema launched the CNG Green Rickshaw Scheme in Sialkot. He said 759 CNG rickshaws had been provided to the local people under the Punjab Chief Minister’s Green Punjab Rozgar Scheme at a subsidised rate. He said the provincial government would give a subsidy of Rs20,000 against every rickshaw, besides giving soft loans up to Rs100,000 to people to buy these rickshaws. He gave 20 CNG rickshaws to the local people.