DERA GHAZI KHAN: Sixteen cement factories will be established across Punjab, including three in Dera Ghazi Khan, as well as a cadet college in Taunsa Sharif, announced Chief Minister Usman Buzdar during a meeting here with notables, party workers and locals during his visit to Taunsa.

The locals thanked the chief minister for having development projects worth billions of rupees completed as well as launching new ones. Mr Buzdar said that roads, a dam, hospitals and schools would be set up in the backward areas, as public welfare schemes were the right of the people of remote areas. The government believed in composite development and progress in all remote areas.

He said the former rulers had not only deprived Taunsa, but the whole of south Punjab of development and progress. Development funds were being distributed justifiably for the first time through the District Development Package.

Besides the 16 cement factories, river water will be saved by creating water reservoirs, work on a dam will be started by June and a 132kV grid station set up in Koh-i-Suleiman. He announced that construction of the Chukiwala-Balochistan road will reduce the distance between the locations by 120 kilometres, while state-of-the-art livestock farms and a cadet college will also be set up in Taunsa.

Furthermore, Mr Buzdar directed to enhance the number of ventilators and oxygen beds immediately besides ensuring availability of oxygen cylinders in hospitals. He warned that the third coronavirus wave was getting worse and an increase in the number of patients was putting immense pressure on the health system.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2021