GUJRAT: The administration has proposed to the Punjab government 474 schemes of rehabilitation of infrastructure, including buildings of schools, offices, roads etc, affected by flood in Gujranwala division at an estimated cost of Rs5 billion.

Commissioner Shumail Ahmed Khwaja said this while talking to journalists after laying the foundation stone of Rs20 million Bab-i-Gujrat (gate to Gujrat) project being funded by a local industrialist group here on Tuesday.

District Coordination Officer Liaqat Ali Chattha, DO (Coordination) Shuja Qutab Bhatti, Additional District Collector Farooq Rasheed, MPA Ashraf Deona, former lawmakers of PML-N Jamil Awan, Haji Nasir Mahmood and others were also present.

Mr Khwaja said the proposed schemes had been envisaged in the light of a survey conducted by government agencies and the district governments. Of these some 383 schemes had been approved by the provincial government and the funds were expected to be released in the current month.

He said at least eight such ‘gates’ were being constructed in six districts of the division. The gates in Wazirabad and Sialkot would complete by Dec 25, whereas construction of Narowal’s would start by Dec 14, he said, adding the project was aimed at promoting the culture of these districts.

He said the public sector schools located in backward areas were also being rehabilitated under the policy in Gujranwala. At least five such schools had been identified in Gujranwala district in the first phase that would be handed over to the philanthropists who would ensure provision of modern facilities there.

“Work on establishing campuses of the Quaid-i-Azam Divisional Public School at tehsil level is under way and first two such campuses will start functioning in Wazirabad and Sambrial by March next,” the commissioner said.

He added the Outdoor Patients Department (OPD) ward at Wazirabad Cardiology Hospital had already started functioning and at least 150 patients were visiting the facility daily, whereas the indoor service would also start by January 2015.

He said Rs45 billion would be spent on some 1,300 uplift schemes in Gujranwala division.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2014