BAHAWALPUR, Jan 23: A Rs50 million project has been taken in hand for providing gas to various localities of Ahmedpur East and Uch Sharif of NA-183 belonging to MNA and Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Technology Makhdum Syed Ali Hasan Gilani.

The project was inaugurated by former MNA Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi at Ahmedpur East on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, the parliamentary secretary said that a sum of Rs27 million would be spent on supplying gas to various colonies during the first phase of the project.

Mr Gilani further said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had also sanctioned a special grant of Rs120 million for the electrification of over 200 villages and bastis. He also urged Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to make arrangements for supplying canal water to the farmers of his constituency.

He announced that his group under the leadership of Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi would be activated. The group would contest on all the seats of union councils in the forthcoming local bodies elections, he added.