LAHORE: Establishment of a paediatric cancer unit at the Children’s Hospital, upgrading of Narowal DHQ Hospital and extension of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology in Multan were among the 16 development schemes approved by the Punjab government with an estimated cost of Rs6.8 billion.

Presided over by Planning and Development Board Chairman Irfan Elahi, the 18th meeting of the Provincial Development Working Party of 2014-15 fiscal year approved feasibility regarding public-private partnership initiatives for development of wildlife in Punjab (PC-II) with Rs3 million.

The meeting approved establishment of the paediatric cancer unit at Children Hospital for Rs262.784 million, upgrading of Narowal DHQ Hospital from 125 beds to 300 for Rs679.535 million and extension of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology -- construction of a new OPD and inpatient block – for Rs1.9 billion.

Approval was also granted to carrying out a study to recommend the most feasible option for treatment of Hudiara Drain Wastewaters (PC-II) for Rs21.32 million, capacity-building of Directorate-General of Archaeology Lahore (PC-II) at Rs1.7 million, Aao Parhain Project for Rs655.758 million, a feasibility study for bringing wastelands of Thal, Pothohar and Cholistan under cultivation through a comprehensive strategy for Rs39.983 million and management of Fruit Fly with special reference to non-conventional methods for Rs275 million.

Approved road sector schemes included rehabilitation of the road from Raiwind railway crossing to Sui-Asal up to Ferozepur Road in Lahore for Rs256.207 million, widening and improvement of the road from Madina to Awan Sharif in Gujrat district for Rs485.65 million, widening and rehabilitation of Sarwar Shaheed Nishan-i-Haider to Ghausia Chowk Bhatta in Gujar Khan tehsil of Rawalpindi district for Rs267.505 million, construction of a road from Seela Sayydan to Kotli Sattian through Bheer Gala in Kotli Sattian tehsil of Rawalpindi district for Rs264.703 million.

Construction of a road from Bhatiot to Nawa village in Attock district for Rs302.368 million, widening and improvement of a road from Ouderwal to Nila Road in Chakwal district for Rs545.989 million, widening, improvement and construction of a road from Laksian Pull on Lahore-Sargodha-Bannu Road to Lilliani through Jala Makhdoom, Ghaus Muhammadwala, Miana Khoh, Matila, Chak No 67/SB in Sargodha district for Rs843.112 million were also approved in the meeting.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2014