Draft for new local govt system to be presented before Punjab Assembly: CM

Published April 13, 2019
Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Provincial Minister Basharat Raja inaugurate Govt Postgraduate College for Girls, Saddar on Friday. — APP
Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Provincial Minister Basharat Raja inaugurate Govt Postgraduate College for Girls, Saddar on Friday. — APP

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Friday said the government would present draft of a new local government system in the next session of the provincial assembly under which powers would be devolved at the grassroot level.

He was speaking at a function held to upgrade Government Postgraduate College, 6th Road, to the level of women university. He also laid the foundation of a women’s college on Railway Road.

Federal ministers Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and Aamer Mehmood Kiani, provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Samiullah Chaudhry, Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad, Raja Rashid Hafeez and Raja Yasir Humayun, Punjab Assembly members Chaudhry Adnan and Ammar Siddique also attended the ceremony.

6th Road postgraduate college upgraded to university level

“The draft of a new local bodies system has been prepared and will be presented before the Punjab Assembly in its next session for approval,” the chief minister said.

Mr Buzdar said 22,000 village councils would be constituted in the rural areas to solve citizens’ problems and funds to the tune of Rs40 billion would be spent on public welfare through these councils.

He said 182 municipal committees would also be established in the cities.

“People will be fully empowered under this system. We are moving towards a new Pakistan envisioned by Prime Minister Imran Khan. We speak less and perform more,” he said.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar promised to provide funds for Rawalpindi for its development and to initiate Rs120 billion worth of projects – Leh Expressway and Ring Road.

However, the chief minister did not give a date as to when the projects would start. However, he said: “The government will launch Leh Expressway project soon at a cost of Rs70 billion and Ring Road project worth Rs50 billion.”

He said the 23km long Leh Expressway would be completed through public-private partnership while the Ring Road project will start soon at a cost of Rs50 million, he added.

The chief minister also announced that the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology would be upgraded to a cardiac and vascular disease centre while work on the kidney hospital would be resumed.

He said instead of lip service, we believed in practical work to turn the country into a welfare state.

“Distribution of Sehat Insaf cards has commenced under which quality healthcare facilities would be provided to the people free of cost,” he said.The chief minister said: “It was difficult to set up another women university when Fatima Jinnah Women University was already functioning here. But we did and now Rawalpindi is unique in having two women universities.”

He gave the credit of setting up another university in the garrison city to Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.The chief Minister said the city will be beautified through the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) and a proper system of solid waste management would be put in place. People will see a clear difference within a month, he claimed.

Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said: “I do not have words to thank Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for starting development projects in Rawalpindi.”

He also announced that he would donate his property to universities after his death, adding that he had worked hard for women education and developed over 60 institutions.

The minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for granting him Rs1 billion for the establishment of educational institutions in the city despite financial crunch.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said the prime minister will inaugurate the mother and child hospital in Rawalpindi on the third of next month and will participate in the opening ceremony of Sir Syed Express.

Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mehmood Kiyani said health and education sectors were priorities of the PTI government and added that Usman Buzdar was serving the people of the province.

The health minister said economic indicators were improving and the people would ultimately benefit.

He said health cards and new hospitals will facilitate people.

Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat said the chief minister had a passion for public service.

Later, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad presented a souvenir to the chief minister.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2019

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