LAHORE   -  Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has announced mega projects worth billions of rupees for the development of Lahore City. 

“Lahore will be given its due right”, he said while addressing a ceremony held in connection with announcing mega projects for the development of Lahore at 90-SQA on Friday.  Usman Buzdar said that a state-of-the-art 1,000 beds for Lahore General Hospital will be established on 124 kanal land of LDA at Ferozepur Road near Arfa Karim Technology Tower at a cost of Rs 9 billion. This hospital will have a capacity of 400 beds in the general ward, 400 beds in cardiology and 200 beds in blood diseases wards. 

He said that the summary of the Health Department had been approved in this regard. 

The Chief Minister said that Mother & Child Care Hospital was being completed in Ganga Ram Hospital at a cost of Rs 4 billion. He further stated that Children Hospital has been awarded status of University of Child Health Sciences and an amount of Rs 4 billion has been allocated for this university. Buzdar said that he had visited Children Hospital and witnessed the rush of children there. He termed this university first of its kind for providing treatment to the children. 

He further maintained that the radiology department has been established in Services Hospital at a sum of Rs2.5 billion. This radiology department has 225-beds as well. 

He said that no new hospital was constructed in Lahore after Jinnah Hospital therefore pressure was being increased on the existing hospitals and the government has started working for setting up of new hospitals.

He said that traffic jams on all the major roads of Lahore had become routine matters which created problems for the citizens. The government has decided to construct flyovers and underpasses to redress this problem. 

He further disclosed that flyovers will be constructed at Shakam Chowk and Karim Block Market Chowk. These two projects will cost approximately Rs 6 billion.

 He further stated that an underpass will also be constructed on Ferozepur Road near Gulab Devi Hospital at a cost of Rs 1 billion. He said that people of North Lahore had been deprived of the basic facilities. He said that an overhead bridge starting from Railway Station to Sheranwala Gate will be constructed at a cost of Rs 4.5 billion. 

The construction of this overhead bridge will improve the transportation between North and South parts of the city besides solving the traffic related issues.

 He said that completion of these projects will provide relief to Laborites in true sense. 

He said permission had been given to construct high-rise buildings in Lahore. Giving details, he stated that in the first phase four thousand apartments will be constructed in LDA City for the low-income segment. 

He said that the government is planning to launch a project of constructing more than 35 thousand apartments over an eight thousand kanal of land. LDA flats will be given to the low-income segment on easy terms. The installments of these flats will be Rs15, 000 per month to be payable in 20 years’ time period. 

He said there had been a plan to develop a new city at the bank of the River Ravi on the pattern of Dubai. Ravi River Urban Development Project has been launched. This project will raise the water level in the city besides ensuring investment of billions of rupees, he said. He said that a plan has also been chalked out to establish a Financial Centre near Walton and its feasibility is being prepared. 

He said a mega water drainage project with the cooperation of Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been started in the city at a cost of Rs 19 billion. The completion of this project will ensure that no rainwater will remain stagnant on roads. “It may deprive someone from a photo shoot in rainwater with long shoes”, he said with a smile on his face. 

He said that years old and dilapidated sewerage lines will be revamped gradually. He said that the project of main drainage pipeline from Haji Camp toward Ravi has been completed. He said that 10 underground water tanks will be constructed in Lahore to restore the rainy water at a sum of Rs 2.8 billion. 

He said that an underground water tank in Bagh-e-Jinnah had ensured the drainage of rainy water within a few minutes in monsoon season. Modern and international standard bus terminal will be constructed at Thokar Niaz Beg over 100 kanal of land at a cost of Rs 3 billion. 

In the first phase, pollution-free 50 electric buses will be plied on different routes and this project is being assisted by the World Bank (WB). 

Scope of these buses will be extended to other cities as well and no subsidy will have to be given, he added.

 He said that the Punjab government and Walled City Authority with the cooperation of Aga Khan Cultural Services are restoring the Royal Fort in its original condition. 

The Agency for International Development from France will also cooperate in this project. This project will be completed in five years and will cost Rs4 billion.  He said that facilities at Data Darbar and shrine of Bibi Pak Daman were being improved. Panahgah and almonries are being established all over the province, he said. He said PKLI was fully functional and conducted operations. He said the government was setting up a Local Government Academy at a cost of Rs 2 billion. 

He said that construction of new buildings of Punjab Assembly was stopped without any reason in the previous regime. Complete funding has been given for the construction of a new building which will soon be completed. 

He said the drug and food lab will soon be made functional. 

He said that the government had not put off the projects of the previous government. “Former rulers had left incomplete projects worth Rs1,300 billion and the incumbent is completing them. 

He said that my political and administrative team has given the mega package for Lahore by working round-the-clock. 

He said that the government has prepared the development profile of 36 districts. “Lahore is the heart of Pakistan and very close to our hearts as well. Though I belong to Southern Punjab but development of Lahore is also very dear to me”, Usman Buzdar observed. 

He said the PTI government had a vision of solving the problems of the Laborites. “Mega projects are the right of Lahore which the government is delivering”.  Buzdar said that he personally monitors all the development projects. 

He said the present government was not giving false hopes but taking practical measures. He said that all the facilities will be improved for the Laborites. 

Secretary Health gave the briefing on the health projects started in Lahore. DG LDA briefed the projects related to infrastructure, fly over and overhead bridge. Secretary Transport briefed the new projects launched for improving the transport facilities. 

DG Walled City Authority briefed about the restoration programme of Royal Fort. Provincial Ministers Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Murad Raas, Yasir Humayun, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, assembly members, President PTI Central Punjab Ijaz Chaudhry, Vice-Chairman LDA Sheikh Muhammad Imran, high rank officers, columnists, anchorpersons and senior journalists were present on this occasion.