LAHORE: The provision of laptops, establishment of a wildlife park in the Khushab district and improvement of existing facilities at the Lahore Safari Zoo were among the 10 development schemes approved by the Punjab government on Wednesday with an estimated cost of Rs7.9 billion.

Presided over by Punjab Planning and Development Board Chairman Irfan Elahi, the 20th meeting of the Provincial Development Working Party of 2014-15 fiscal year also approved urban water supply scheme at Shahkot, Nankana Sahib district (revised) at a cost of Rs214.373 million.

The approved schemes included provision of laptops (revised) with a sum of Rs4946.326 million, establishment of a wildlife park at Jauharabad in Khushab district at a cost of Rs268.586 million and development of animal safaris and improvement of existing facilities at Safari Zoo, Lahore, at a cost of Rs460.704 million.

Approval was also granted for the protection of the Bhakkar Flood Bund from erosive action to save abadis, agriculture land and other infrastructures in Bhakkar city with a sum of Rs892.218 million, feasibility study for rehabilitation of Haveli Main Line (PC-II) at a cost of Rs28.872 million and a feasibility study for rehabilitation of the Dera Ghazi Khan Canal System (PC-II) at a cost of Rs23.538 million.

The approved road sector schemes were construction of a road from Badiana-Bhogiwal-Merajke-Charwa Road (length 26.77km) in the Sialkot district with an amount of Rs339.793 million, construction of Faisalabad Ring Road (missing links between Faisalabad-Sargodha Road and Faisalabad-Chak Jhumra Road, length 11.82km, revised) at a cost of Rs360.297 million, construction and improvement of road from Chak 71/SB to Sargodha-Lahore Road along Chokera Minor (length 30.49 km) in Sargodha district (revised) at a cost of Rs339.537 million.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2014