JHANG, May 20: To solve the housing problem of the village population, the government is planning to allot 100,000 residential plots of 10 marlas each to shelterless people in rural areas across the Punjab.

This was stated by Punjab Governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retired) while speaking to a gathering of peoples’ representatives, notables and landless tenants here on Monday.

The governor also distributed certificates of ownership rights of the state land measuring around 592 acres among 72 landless tenants on the occasion.

He said measures were being taken for the uplift of the down-trodden of the rural society. For this purpose, he said, the government had already distributed 72,000 acres of state land among the landless tenants while more land would be distributed in near future.

The government had so far distributed Rs1.13 billion zakat for the rehabilitation of 66,000 families while another Rs3 billion zakat would be distributed by the end of this year, he said.

Departments of livestock, agriculture and industries had been directed to provide assistance to recipients of the money for its proper utilization to make them economically self-sufficient, he said.

Replying to demands made by district Nazim Sahibzada Sultan Hameed, the governor said instructions had been issued to SNGPL authorities for providing gas to all localities of Jhang city and Saddar.

He said construction work on two bridges on river Chenab near Ehud Bharwana and Garh Maharaja would soon be taken in hand.

The governor also promised early commencement of post-graduate classes at the Government Girls Degree College, Jhang, and the construction of bypass roads around Jhang and Chiniot.

Refuting the allegations of irregularities in the purchase of wheat by the Food Department, the governor said he himself visited various purchase centres enroute to Jhang and found no malpractice or corruption.

The governor later visited the local DHQ Hospital and inaugurated a new block constructed at a cost of Rs2 million with the donation of a local philanthropist.