LAHORE, Sept 2: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday opened the construction work of Shalamar flyover in Mughulpura here.

He said Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif had promised Shalamar flyover during his election meetings and this promise was being fulfilled in line of his promise.

Mr Sharif said the project should have been undertaken much earlier for a smooth flow of traffic but former rulers ignored hardships of the people resulting in long traffic jams and sometimes even patients stuck up in the traffic jams died before reaching hospital.

He said that those who gave up their land for the one-km-long flyover, to be completed in eight-and-a-half months, would be paid for their land at the market price.

He also promised a state-run hospital in the locality soon.

Referring to the Frontier Works Organization (FWO), a construction wing of the armed forces that had been awarded contract for the construction of the flyover, he recalled that the organisation had done quality work at various mega projects executed in his last stint as the chief minister.

He said the FWO and National Logistics Cell (NLC), another construction wing of the army, had executed several projects in 1997-98 and keeping in view their performance all mega projects were being entrusted to the FWO.

He said the private sector would also be encouraged to join healthy competition among various public and private sector builders.

The chief minister reiterated to provide 20-kg flour bag to the people for Rs300 per bag.

He said the provincial government had also announced Rs1,000 special Ramazan package for government employees from grade one to nine.

Members of the National Assembly Mian Marghoob Ahmad, Khwaja Saad Rafique, Haji Rohail Asghar, Malik Afzal Khokhar, Provincial Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Member of the Provincial Assembly Hafiz Nauman, task force on roads chairman Khwaja Ahmad Hassan and FWO Director General Maj-Gen Javed Iqbal were present.

He promised to utilize every penny of public money for the welfare of the masses. — Reporter