DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 10: Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi on Monday announced Rs1 billion package for Taunsa which, besides other things, aims at taming hill torrents for irrigation purpose.

Addressing a big gathering at Taunsa Sharif, the chief minister said his government would release soon a sum of Rs700 million for launching a project to control violent hill torrents which played havoc with rural life recently.

Declaring torrent-affected 20,000 acres area of Taunsa as calamity-hit, he pledged Rs50,000 compensation for each marooned family. He said that some 11,000 students of 5th class in Dera Ghazi Khan district had been given scholarships of Rs27 million. The chief minister also announced a Rs50 million grant for the provision of Sui gas facility to Taunsa Sharif.

Responding to the demand of the audience to declare Taunsa as district, Pervaiz promised to look into the matter. The chief minister said around 150 km long metalled roads would be constructed in Dera Ghazi Khan district while Rs350 million would be spent on the laying of new water supply and sewage system in Taunsa Sharif tehsil.

He also announced the establishment of Government Boys College at Wahowah, and the construction of Chowkiwala-Zain-Barthi Road, Wahowah-Nutkani Road and Mangrotha-Fazla Kacch Road.

Mr Pervaiz said the present government had allocated Rs8 billion for the uplift of south Punjab which was six per cent more than the actual share of the area. Earlier at Barthi tribal area, Buzdar tribal chief and MPA Fateh Muhammad Khan Buzdar presented a sword to the Punjab chief minister.

In Taunsa Sharif, the chief minister got a briefing from heads of provincial departments at the Sheesh Mahal of Khwajas of Taunsa Sharif. MNA Khwaja Sheraz presented the welcome address while MPA Mir Badshah Qaisrani, District Nazim Jamal Khan Leghari, PML's tehsil president Abdul Salam Khan Pathan, MPAs Begum Zeenat Khan, Javed Lond, Mohsin Khan Leghari, Aleem Shah and Muhammad Khan Leghari, MNAs Nasrullah Khan Dreshak, Bahadur Khan Sehr, Layyah District Nazim Shahabuddin Sehr and Senator Amjad Abbas were also present on the occasion.