LAHORE, April 27: Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said here on Tuesday that arrival of Mian Shahbaz Sharif would not make any difference to the government. Replying to questions by reporters after inspecting work on the underpasses near the Jinnah and Doctors Hospitals, he said: "Newspapers have been mentioning his return to the country for the last two and a half years.

One could have reached Pakistan from Saudi Arabia on foot during this period." He said the provincial government would procure its targeted 3.5 million tonnes of wheat at all costs, as it was its duty to stock the commodity to ensure food security for people. The ban on movement of wheat would continue till the procurement of the required quantity, he said.

The chief minister said that provincial government's wheat procurement policy had been appreciated at all levels, especially by the NWFP and Balochistan in a recent meeting. Passco was procuring wheat for the other provinces and was already giving it to Sindh.

He said the government was following a tough policy for ensuring the right price for farmers. Farmers were happy with the price but hoarders and black-marketers were opposing the government policy.

Provision of subsidized wheat flour to people was a basic duty of the government, which it would discharge at any cost, he said. The chief minister said the file work for a housing colony for Lahore journalists was in its final stages.

Talking about the under-construction underpasses, he said these would be completed before June 15. The government was paying special attention to the development of infrastructure in the province, he said.

The chief minister said mega projects had been launched for accelerating the pace of development in all cities of the province. The government was following the policy of utilizing the development resources equally in all cities.

He said development projects were also being initiated in backward localities of Lahore. He said more underpasses would improve communication in the city and accelerate the process of provision of amenities.

He said the two underpasses would be constructed at a cost of Rs190 million each, facilitating the flow of traffic from all parts of the city to the motorway. "The underpasses lead to the motorway," he said when it was pointed out by a reporter that they would provide a smooth drive to the Raiwind farm house of the Sharif family.

He directed the communication and works department to widen the canal road and not block traffic on alternative routes during the construction of underpasses.