FAISALABAD, Dec 1: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced on Monday a number of projects for Faisalabad, that include a drug testing laboratory, a dental college, a hospital, a college, two dozen roads and a horticulture authority. Mr Sharif while addressing reporters and parliamentarians said the Punjab government had been doing its utmost for extending basic necessities of life to masses and cheap Roti scheme was also part of its efforts. He asked the parliamentarians, philanthropists and non-government organisations to join hands with government’s efforts to provide cheap bread for the masses.

He said the Punjab government would raise a horticulture authority to give a splendid look to the district. Besides, instituting a dental college, the government would also set up a hospital in Haseeb Shaheed Colony, a college in Samanabad and would upgrade the General Hospital Ghulam Mohammadabad. He said two dozens roads of the district would also be constructed.

He said the government would also build flyovers, underpasses here and earmarked Rs750 million for the purpose. The chief minister said the provincial government would distribute 100 solar energy tube wells to farmers to achieve wheat sowing targets.

He announced two months salary as bonus for the workers beautifying the district. A waste collection system would be introduced across the Punjab and subsequently the collected junk would be recycled as fuel, he said.

The chief minister expressed his grave concern over the poor law and order situation across the province and said police officials had been told to launch an operation in three weeks against the criminals hiding in the deserted places of Kamalia, Jhang and Chiniot.

He said corrupt police officers would face the music and 51 corrupt deputy superintendents of police had been made OSDs, he added.

The chief minister also suspended officials who had been working at the Chak Jhumra police station in the previous government for not netting the criminals. He threw his weight behind the newly appointed city police officer Faisalabad Malik Ahmed Raza and said he would do his utmost for the improvement of law and order situation in the district.

About local councils, he said the former president had introduced this only to form his electoral college and placed no check and balance on public departments. He said misappropriation of Rs51 billion was unearthed only in TMAs of the Punjab and similarly scores of district nazims were also found involved in corruption of million of rupees.

He said corrupt nazims were issued notices; however they managed to get stay orders from the courts. Nothing would be changed till the independence of judiciary, he added.

Mr Sharif also talked to District Bar Association activists and addressed workers at Circuit House. Senior Punjab Minister Raja Riaz, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Chief Secretary Javeed Mehmood and Commissioner Zahid Saeed were also present.