SARGODHA, Nov 15: Amelioration of education and health sectors are top priorities on the government’s agenda.

This was stated by Governor Khalid Maqbool while addressing a gathering in front of the district Nazim’s office here on Wednesday.

He said facilities to students for higher education, training of teachers and change in mode of examinations were important steps towards prosperity.

In health sector, he said, hospitals at district level would be made autonomous, while specialists would be posted in each DHQ hospital for the poor patients visiting the hospital in the morning.

The governor said the government had voluntarily transferred powers to the elected representatives and removed the age-old system, making the elected people answerable to the public.

He said the facility of buildings and vehicles would be provided to the Punjab police in different phases. Police, according to him, were answerable to the district Nazim in maintaining law and order, however, they were free to initiate investigation.

Mr Maqbool said he would ensure provision of farm-to-market roads and cultivators would be provided every facility for their benefits.

He said he would review the establishment of a citrus research centre to enable growers to improve the quality of the fruit and help searching markets for export.

Industrialists in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Gujrat would be given incentives and their problems would be resolved on priority basis.

The governor assured District Bar Association president Syed Ihsan Qadir Shah that he would request the judiciary for setting up a circuit bench in Sargodha. He said he would also request the judiciary to strengthen the hands of the administration to curtail the crime.

He said the Punjab would get 50 per cent additional funds under the Khushal Pakistan Programme, and preference would be given to smaller cities like Sargodha.