LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has hinted at removing the low performing provincial ministers in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement about the performance of the ministers.

In his first interaction with reporters since he assumed office of the chief minister on Saturday, Mr Buzdar said the performance of ministers was being monitored.

“It is the right of the government to remove the cabinet members who fail to come up to his as well as prime minister’s expectations,” he said.

Answering a question, the chief minister said the PTI government would present its 100-day performance as well as priorities and way forward for the next five years. The PTI government would break the three-decade old status quo and make record legislation for the welfare of people, he promised.

In the PML-N rule, he said, development in Lahore was confined to one area. “I have announced a package of billions of rupees for Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa and Barthi which are deprived of basic facilities,” he said and added that the government would also bring a mega project for Lahore. He said the South Punjab secretariat would start working next year.

The chief minister said the issue of clean drinking water would be solved and people would see a visible change in the affairs of the province. He said the genuine problems of journalists would be solved.

Mr Buzdar said land worth billions of rupees had been retrieved during the operation against encroachments. “Astonishing revelations have been made during the anti-encroachment operation that will leave everybody spellbound,” he claimed.

As for the problems being faced by farmers, he said the sugarcane crushing season had been delayed but the Punjab government had taken remedial measures. He said an agriculture policy would be announced soon, assuring that the farmers would be given due relief.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2018