MULTAN, Nov 3: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has dispelled the impression that his government has been ignoring the southern part of the province in its development endeavours.

He told newsmen here on Wednesday that his government had initiated various development projects worth Rs15 billion in south Punjab. "No previous government can match our attention towards the development of southern Punjab," he claimed.

He said funds were allocated in proportion to the population of an area. However, the south Punjab had been given 8 per cent more funds than its due share for development.

He claimed that some people wanted to score political point by deceiving the masses in the name of development disparity in the central and southern Punjab.

He said Rs2.4 billion and Rs3.1 billions had been earmarked for rural development programmes in Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur, respectively. Besides, Rs300 million had been allocated for the Cholistan Development Authority, Rs1 billion for the under-construction Multan Institute of Cardiology (MIC), Rs230 million for the construction of burn unit and upgradation of the emergency services at the Nishtar Hospital, Rs150 million for the establishment of a nursing college in Multan.

Mr Elahi said he was in the town to inspect dual carriageways constructed recently in and around Multan city at the cost of Rs270 million. He vowed to establish a women's university in Multan besides housing the local College of Home Economics soon in its own building.

He said the provincial government had been giving Rs500 million per annum to the needy girls of south Punjab as scholarship.

He said sewerage and water supply schemes would be completed in 21 tehsils of south Punjab at a cost of Rs7.5 billion under the Southern Punjab Basic Urban Programme while the Multan Industrial Estate was being upgraded to boost economic activity in the area.

He announced that the site for the proposed 300-bed district headquarter hospital had been selected and its construction would start soon.

The chief minister said the government would also spend Rs200 million for brick-lining of water courses in south Punjab. A sum of Rs80 million had been earmarked for a boat bridge at Aimenwala Pattan in Jalalpur Pirwala.He also announced a grant of Rs5 million for the Jalalpur Pirwala Public School.

He said the existing system of local bodies would be improved in the light of proposals forwarded by all the four provinces of the federation.

Earlier, Mr Elahi inaugurated dual carriageways of Sher Shah Road and Bosan Road and inspect the ongoing MIC construction work. He was told that the MIC would be a 201-bed facility and its outpatient department would start functioning by January next. Of the allocated Rs1 billion for the project, Rs540 million would be spent on construction of the MIC building and Rs440 million on the purchase of equipment.

He directed that the MIC staff colony should also be built simultaneously so that doctors and other officials might not face residential problem. The chief minister was told that the colony would have to be constructed with additional Rs180 million.

He announced Rs9.8 million for the construction of a new building of Multan Press Club.