LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday visited far-flung areas of the province and inspected Ramazan bazaars, health facilities and wheat procurement centres.
He suspended Rahim Yar Khan Corporation Chief Officer Qasim Manzoor and District Civil Defence Officer Latif Gull over “poor cleanliness arrangements and dereliction of duty”. He announced funds for construction of a flyover in Rahim Yar Khan and said that resources would be provided for establishment of a cadet college in the area.
The chief minister inspected Ramazan bazaar, emergency ward of the THQ Hospital and wheat procurement centre after arriving in the border tehsil of Sadiqabad. He inspected a Ramazan bazaar at Askari Park. He went to different stalls and talked to consumers who appreciated provision of daily use items at subsidised rates. Buzdar said the sole purpose of the Ramazan package was to provide relief to the common man and the entire government machinery was fully active in this regard. “I am personally visiting Ramazan bazaars to review the arrangements. The government saved Rs2 billion by avoiding show off. Quality and compliance with official rates of daily use items will be ensured at Ramazan bazaars and commercial markets,” he said.
The chief minister visited the emergency ward of the THQ Hospital and inquired after the patients. He said the government was striving to provide the best healthcare facilities to the general public. He said that improvement in the health sector was top priority of the government because it was responsibility of the state. He said that doctors and other staff should adopt a kind attitude towards patients because it helps cure diseases.
Buzdar also went to the wheat procurement centre in Chak 5/NP in Sadiqabad. He talked to farmers about the wheat procurement arrangements and they expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements. He said that government’s efforts were benefitting farmers. “We are happy to see you at this remote procurement centre,” a farmer said. The chief minister said that he was with farmers and reiterated that farmers would be given a full reward for their hard work. “I will go everywhere and merit will prevail in this wheat procurement campaign as I am personally monitoring the situation. Exploitation of farmers will not be tolerated,” he added.
Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated the police mobile Khidmat Markaz in Rahim Yar Khan where he was briefed about the facilities available at the centre. He said that scope of the police mobile Khidmat Markaz would be expanded to other districts. He said that necessary facilities, including FIR registration, would be available through this Khidmat Markaz.
After his return from Sadiqbad, the chief minister visited the subsidised Ramazan bazaar in Rahim Yar Khan. He was all praise for the first-aid camp and said it was necessary for every Ramazan bazaar. He checked quality of pulses and other items at different stalls and said that benefits of subsidy would reach people. The visit to wheat procurement centres and Ramazan bazaars had started from southern Punjab. “People of southern Punjab will definitely get their rights now. The PTI government is the guardian of the rights of people of backward areas and Rs680 million is being allocated for southern Punjab secretariat in the next financial year’s budget,” he said.
Later, the chief minister reached the subsidised bazaar in Bahawalpur and inspected availability of daily use items. He checked rates and quality of food items and informed buyers that no restriction of CNIC had been imposed for purchase of food items from Ramazan bazaars. He said that people could purchase different things without showing their CNICs. He said that availability of sugar in the subsidised Ramazan bazaars should be ensured as these markets are set up to facilitate people. He said that action would be taken against the people concerned on receipt of any complaint. The promise of payment of damages to shopkeepers of model bazaar affected by the fire has been fulfilled, he said.