LAHORE, March 16: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi on Thursday said the provincial government was maintaining “the best” financial discipline, urging the district governments to follow the example.

He was addressing nazims of all districts in the province at his secretariat here. Law and Local Government Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, Chief Secretary Salman Siddique, IGP Zia-ul-Hassan Khan and Additional Chief Secretary Najeeb Ullah Malik were also present on the occasion.

The chief minister said the PML had helped strengthen the district government system in accordance with the vision of President Gen Pervez Musharraf. The party, he added, had complete faith in the system which was proving helpful in resolving people’s problems at local level.

He said the provincial and district governments were the part of the same system, and the benefits of reforms agenda were reaching the masses through the excellent working relationship which existed between the two wings.

The chief minister said the local as well as foreign investment had increased in the province, resulting in employment opportunities and poverty alleviation.

He said the provincial government had started implementing president’s potable water programme under which supply of clean drinking water would be ensured to the masses by 2007.

He said industrial estates were being set up in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and other major cities of the province which would give impetus to economic activities.

The Punjab government’s education sector reforms programme was proving successful and a similar project had been initiated in health sector under which maximum facilities were being extended to patients and doctors at rural and basic health centres, he said.

The government had also taken revolutionary measures for the promotion of agriculture and livestock sectors. Water channels were being brick-lined which would result in better management of water resources and increase in agricultural production, he added.

He said police patrolling posts were playing an important role in the safety on highways. Traffic system was also being modernised in the province.

About PML’s reorganisation in the province, he urged the nazims that maximum enrolment to the party be ensured so that it could be strengthened at the grassroots level.

Sources said the meeting’s main objective was to ask nazims to prepare for the PML’s centenary celebrations and ensure maximum participation of the party activists in the main meeting being held in Lahore in this connection.

Meanwhile, a number of prominent personalities, including Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousaf, called on Mr Elahi at the chief minister’s secretariat and condoled his mother’s death. PML president and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was also present on this occasion.

Other visitors included Federal Railways Minister Mian Shamim Haider, Federal Minister Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, Federal Health Minister Shehnaz Sheikh, MNA Tahir Bashir Cheema and Principal Officer of American Consulate Brain G. Heath.