MULTAN, May 4: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Sunday announced a multiple development package for Multan, including Rs5.924 billion worth of water supply and sewerage schemes.

Speaking at the Multan Press Club, he said under the prime minister's special initiative development programme all roads would be widened to ensure smooth traffic flow in the city.

He said southern and northern bypasses would be constructed under the ring road plan so that inter-city traffic did not overburden the interior city roads.

He said the construction of northern bypass would be completed at a cost of Rs50 million in June next year, for which the land is already available. The southern bypass would be completed in a phased manner which would also include acquisition of land.

He said a portion of ring road, passing from interior city would have underpasses and where needed, the crossings would be widened and improved.

Masoom Shah road, Surij Miani road, Nawabpur road and several other narrow roads would be widened. He said the National Highway Authority would commence work on Multan-Faisalabad Motorway (M-4) project in July this year.

He said Multan airport would be upgraded so that wide-bodied passenger and cargo aircraft could operate from this facility.

He said the defence ministry and Civil Aviation Authority had been asked to sort out the land issue. The work would start in June this year.

He said six low-cost housing schemes in Shujabad and Jalalpur would be launched for which the provincial government would provide the land and funds.

He said the housing schemes would be built in four towns of the city -- Bosan, Shah Rukn-i-Alam, Mumtazabad and Shershah.

All projects will be completed in five-year period and Nespak will prepare design and feasibility reports. — APP