GUJRAT: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved the summary of giving tehsil status to Jalalpur Jattan Town as the Board of Revenue (BoR) has issued a notification to the effect.

Senior PML-N leader MNA Hamza Shahbaz is scheduled to announce the tehsil status on behalf of the chief minister at a public meeting at Jalalpur Jattan Stadium on Monday. The PML-N officials are making preparations for the event.

Gujrat Additional District Collector Irfan Ali Kathia told Dawn that the BoR had issued the notification of tehsil status for Jalalpur Jattan after the chief minister signed the summary three days ago. He said the tehsil was being created through bifurcation of Gujrat tehsil.

Qannongo circles of Jalalpur Jattan, Tanda and Pero Shah as well as four police stations -- Jalalpur Jattan city and Saddar, Tanda and Karianwala -- had been included in the new tehsil.

According to official documents, the population of the tehsil is around 343,834 according to the 1998 census. The total area of the tehsil is around 175,030 acre covering at least 253 revenue estates (villages) and 77 Patwar circles.

Mr Kathia said Hamza Shahbaz would also inaugurate mega development projects such as the establishment of Shahbaz Sharif park along the bank of the Chenab and construction of Shaheen flyover along Gujrat bypass of GT Road. Hamza would also lay the foundation of a swimming pool, he added.

The feasibility report says some rooms at the Municipal Committee Jalalpur Jattan have been selected for the tehsil headquarters offices including that of assistant commissioner and tehsildar as a stopgap arrangement. The district government has sought allocation of Rs323.897 million for the construction of a tehsil complex, land record centre and 62 residences for the government officials.

Published in Dawn November 20th, 2016