LAHORE, June 3: Governor Khalid Maqbool on Monday inaugurated the construction of a 6km-long-road passing through Jauhar Town from near the site of the proposed Expo Centre, connecting Thokar Niaz Beg with the College Road.
The road, being constructed at the cost of Rs87.65 million, is a part of a Rs700 million project approved by the Punjab government for the construction of seven roads in southern parts of the city to “build the missing road links to join the residential colonies in that part of Lahore with over 124,000 plots”.
The government hopes that the construction of these roads, and the proposed world class Expo Centre, will spur the construction activity in the city, creating thousands of jobs.
Speaking on the occasion, the governor said the government was of the view that development projects were essential for spurring economic growth in the country.
“This was precisely why the government has started development schemes like coastal road, Gwadar Port, Greater Thal canal, dams, highways, motorways across the country.”
He added the “previous governments might have thought of these projects but it was the present government that actually began to implement them”. He said the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway was a good project but the M3 launched by this government was even better as it had been awarded to a local contractor and the country’s money would remain within the country.
The governor said the government was also trying to “solve the problems faced by the industrialists by providing infrastructural and other facilities to them at the industrial estates. He added: “We have offered the private sector to establish export promotion zones (EPZs) in Lahore, Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan. We would provide them all facilities.”
He said the Sialkot’s EPZ was likely to be inaugurated on June 15-16 and the businessmen from that city had promised to begin the construction of 10-15 factories the same day. Similarly, the construction of the proposed EPZ at Gujranwala was also expected to begin on the same dates.
He said the government was privatizing functions of government inspectors to rid the businessmen of unnecessary hassles and problems. He said the government would do everything to remove irritants and impediments in the way of doing business to speed up economic growth.
He said the government was spending Rs350 million on development schemes in the northern parts of the city. The president, he said, had given Rs500 million for improving sewerage in Multan.
He said the province was working to launch scholarships of Rs600-700 million for poor children some time this month or in July. He said measures were also being taken to improve cultural life of the city to create an investment-friendly atmosphere in the country.