BAHAWALPUR: Outgoing deputy commissioner Dr Ehtasham Anwar Mahar on Friday laid the foundation stone of a food street inside Farid Gate.

Unveiling the plaque of the food street which will be sponsored by a beverage company, he said people would get quality and hygienic food in a clean environment. He said the street would have new flooring, multi-coloured buildings and all shops would have uniform furniture.

He said eateries from Lahore would also be invited to have their franchises in the food street.

Dr Mahar, who has recently been transferred, took it as an opportunity to recall some of his initiatives. He said as a pilot project Bahawalpur became the first district to have a property registration office.

Similarly, 1518 helpline ‘Awaz-i-Khalq’ helped people a great deal in registering complaints. He said Ahmedpur East’s Tehsil Headquarters hospital was recently ranked as number one health facility among the THQ hospitals in Punjab.

He said the Punjab government had approved residential and transport facilities for the staff of the basic health units (BHUs) in rural areas.

He informed the audience that steps for the introduction of Urdu as an official language in the district government’s correspondence had been taken prior to the provincial government decision. Besides, arrangements had been made that every applicant got his domicile certificate within three days.

The DC said the cricket pavilion of Dring Stadium would be renovated and an academy opened in the district with the cooperation of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Another future project would be installation of AstroTurf at the four tehsil headquarters.

On Friday, the DC also inaugurated a ‘folding bed project’ at Missile Park of Fowara Chowk. Launched by a private company, the project would help the homeless spend nights at the facility.

Published in Dawn January 28th, 2017