LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Wednesday said that decisions about making new districts and tehsils will be made on administrative grounds and distribution of population and financial resources will also be minutely studied before the final decision.

The Chief Minister stated this in a meeting with Punjab Minister for Irrigation Mohsin Khan Leghari as the latter took up the issue of demarcation of administrative boundaries and pleaded his case for inclusion of Jampur Tehsil in the list of proposed new districts and tehsils.

“The decision about new districts and tehsils will be made on merit and no locality will be ignored”, said the Chief Minister, adding that Jampur tehsil of Rajanpur district will also be taken along in the journey of development.

According to an official release, the creation of more job opportunities for South Punjab and issues relating to carving out new districts and tehsils also came under discussion in the meeting. 

The Minister also apprised the CM about the performance of his department.

The CM stated the government has fulfilled the promise of setting up the Southern Punjab secretariat and now the locals will not have to visit Lahore for the solution of their issues.

The journey of the development of Southern Punjab has begun and it will not stop, he told the minister. 

It may be recalled here that Punjab government has already constituted a task force to review boundaries of tehsils and districts in the province.

Last meeting of this task force was held in the last week of January this year.

This meeting had pondered over the procedures and rules for setting up new districts and tehsils in Punjab.

According to terms of reference of the task force, the local district administration will initiate a proposal for news districts and tehsils.

A study group comprising representatives of the Punjab Board of Revenue, Finance Department, P&D and Excise Department would later examine this proposal keeping in view the geography and economic impacts.

The government is considering to revise the boundaries of some districts because the population of some tehsils are more than that of the districts while the population of some districts is less than tehsils.

The proposed new district include Kot Addu,  a tehsil of Muzaffargarh district, Taunsa, a tehsil of DG Khan districts, Chistian, a tehsil of Bahawalnagar district, Shujabad, a tehsil of Multan district and Jampur, a tehsil of Rajanpur district.

CM VISITS KHANKI

HEADWORKS

Buzdar visited Khanki Headworks on Wednesday and inspected the arrangements made for dealing with the possible flood.

The CM on the occasion stated that line departments have already been alerted while water situation in Jhelum, Chenab and Sindh rivers is constantly monitored. He announced plans to inspect other headworks as well.

The Irrigation Secretary told that a 27-km long road has been constructed from Wazirabad to Khanki Barrage besides setting up a vocational training centre, BHU and recreational park.

He also briefed about the latest water situation in different rivers.  The Khanki Headworks was constructed in 1892 and a new Khanki Barrage has been constructed on Chenab River with the assistance of ADB.

An amount of Rs21 billion and 30 crores has been spent on the upgradation project. Up to 11,500 cusec water flow would be guaranteed in Lower Chenab Canal round the year along with the continuous supply to 2925 contiguous water channels of 4680-kilometre long irrigation system.

This would help to irrigate 3.301 million acre land of Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Jhang, Chiniot, Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh. This would benefit more than six lac farmer families and the water flow capacity of the barrage, after up-gradation, has increased from eight lac cusec to 11 lac cusec.

This would usher in an era of agricultural prosperity besides proving an important step for safety from the floods.  Provincial Minister Malik Asad Khokhar, ACS (Infrastructure) and others were also present. 

CM CONDOLES

DEMISE OF FORMER DPR

Chief Minister has expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the death of Rana Ijaz Mehmood, former Director Public Relations/Director Arts Council Bahawalpur.

Buzdar paid rich tributes to the invaluable services being rendered by late Rana Ijaz for the Public Relations Department and complimented that he was hard working and a dutiful officer.

He expressed his heartfelt sympathy and condolence with the bereaved family. CM prayed that Allah Almighty rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant fortitude to the grieved family to bear this irreparable loss.