MURREE, July 4: The Punjab chief minister, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, on Friday announced that a new city with all modern facilities for tourists would be built in the suburbs of Murree. In this connection, he directed the nation-building departments to prepare a comprehensive plan.

The chief minister made the announcement during a briefing held here to review the implementation of the development package announced by him for the hill station.

Provincial Minister for Local Bodies and Law Raja Basharat, District Naib Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas, Tehsil Nazim Khurshid Abbasi, Naib Nazim Sardar Sajid, union council Nazims, PML-Q president of Murree and officials of various departments attended the briefing.

The chief minister stressed the need for effective coordination between federal and provincial development departments and agencies so that welfare-oriented projects could be implemented without any delay.

He added that the objective behind the Murree development package was to provide roads and other facilities to the people of far-flung areas with a view to bring these areas at par with the developed ones.

Taking serious notice of complaints regarding illegal cutting of trees and forests in Murree, he directed the Forest Department to take effective steps to stop this practice.

The district coordination officer, Rawalpindi, said a girls degree college would be set up in Phagwari at a cost of Rs17 million. He said upgradation of middle schools at Sorasi, Angoori and Samli, were also in the pipeline.

He further said the construction of a stadium in Bhurban, establishment of a technical school, compensation of Rs5 million to rain-affected people of Tehsil Murree, enhancement of hill allowance for the government employees from Rs200 to Rs300 and proprietary rights to the dwellers of Katchi Abadis established before 1985 were likely to be approved.

He added that the district government had already approved a roads construction project from Oasiya to Duleha and Phagwari to Khaddar at an estimated cost of Rs6.44 million and Rs10 million respectively. He said the schemes related to shortage of drinking water, provision of Sui gas on BoT basis and relief to small farmers for remission of interest and suspension of loans recovery amounting to Rs0.2 million were also in the pipeline.

He said 76 per cent of the chief minister’s development package for Murree was being spent on the construction of roads and streets in all the Tehsil union councils, 1.8 per cent on buildings, 9.27 per cent on launching and rehabilitation of water supply schemes and 12.47 per cent on electrification.

Later, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi inaugurated the party office in Murree. He also visited the newly-constructed block of Punjab House.