MULTAN, Feb 26: The government has spent a sum of Rs23 billion on development projects in southern Punjab during the last two years.

This was stated by Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi while addressing a public meeting at the Multan Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.

The chief minister said "We are trying to bring southern districts on a par with other parts of the province in terms of development".

He said the government had been allocating 11 per cent more budget for the southern Punjab in addition to its allocated share.

He said the Multan Institute of Cardiology (MIC) being set up at a cost of Rs1 billion would be operational by May this year. He hoped that patients with cardio vascular diseases from southern Punjab and even Balochistan would benefit from the treatment facilities available at this medicare centre.

About Punjab government's education reforms programme, he said that stipends worth Rs500 million were extended to the southern Punjab to help raise literacy level among the female population.

The CM also announced that the government would provide free of cost books to the students up to class 10 from next year.

He said the lining of water courses in the country at a cost of Rs66 billion would also go a long way in boosting agriculture sector.