LAHORE      -          Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Friday performed ground-breaking of development projects worth billions of rupees in Dera Ghazi Khan and inaugurated development schemes completed in the last one year.

He inaugurated renovation work on the Border Military Police (BMP) residence at a cost of Rs13 million and repair and maintenance work on roads leading to the district courts.

The chief minister inaugurated 52-kilometres long DG Khan-Muzaffargarh dual carriageway, which was completed at a cost of Rs13.5 billion. He laid foundation stone of various blocks at the Ghazi University and inaugurated an e-rozgar centre there. He inaugurated a cricket stadium and vehicle inspection station and laid the foundation stone of BS Block at the Government Degree College for Women and Solid Waste Management Company in Dera Ghazi Khan. He opened work on the project of missing facilities, new library block and BS programme at Government Boys Degree College, Taunsa Sharif.

On this occasion, the chief minister said that DG Khan-Muzaffargarh dual road was a gift for people of southern Punjab, adding that past governments made people’s lives difficult. “I have brought projects worth billions of rupees to DG Khan Division to help people improve their quality of life,” he said.

The chief minister also inaugurated a new block at DHQ Teaching Hospital. An amount of more than five billion rupees has been earmarked for upgradation and provision of necessary facilities to this hospital.

A cardiology centre will be set up with an amount of more than four billion rupees and separate OPD, gynae and neurosurgery wards will be constructed at the hospital. The chief minister assured people of every required facility in the hospital and added that the district hospital will be made a state-of-the-art medical institution. The government will ensure the provision of modern medical facilities in all the hospitals of the province, he added. Healthcare facilities will be made better than the best in deprived areas so that ordinary patients could access the same medical facilities in government hospitals which are being enjoyed by the rich in private hospitals.

The chief minister visited Baloch Levies Lines and laid the foundation stone of the renovation project of border military police force inn and repair and maintenance of district court roads. A smartly turned-out contingent of BMP and Baloch Levies presented the guard of honor to the chief minister. The chief minister inspected the vehicles and decorated six newly promoted BMP officers with badges.

While addressing the BMP and Balochistan levies during visit to Baloch levies lines, Usman Buzdar lauded the performance of both law-enforcement agencies, saying they were doing excellent job in tribal areas of Koh-e-Suleman. He also commended them for negligible ratio of street crime and theft cases in the area. He called the law and order situation as exemplary.

He said that people of the area were peace-loving, adding that special relaxation was being extended to people of Koh-e-Suleman in recruitment terms of rangers and police. He said that promotion of border military police and Balochistan levies was pending for long and added that 115 employees had been promoted. He said that recruitment process on 666 posts of border military police and levies would be started soon as per amended terms.

He said that 565 new posts of sub-inspector, ASI, head constable and constables were being created for people of the area. He said that six new police stations and security posts have been approved for tribal areas. He said that rescue centres were under construction in Barthi and Fazla Kuch.

Meanwhile, Usman Buzdar presided over high-level meeting at Commissioner’s Office to review arrangements for uplift projects, welfare schemes, law and order situation and cleanliness. He directed the officials concerned to construct link roads in various phases in DG Khan.

The CM also ordered for setting up joint pickets of BMP and police to improve law and order situation and installation of CCTV cameras to check theft and other crimes. The CM announced that safe cities authority project would be made functional soon in DG Khan, adding that work on Ghazi Ghat Bridge would be commenced soon.

Regional Police Officer (RPO) Imran Ahmar briefed the meeting, law and order situation and apprised the meeting about steps taken for improving police culture. He said that cameras have been installed at SHOs offices in DG Khan for monitoring while monitoring to check the position of police mobile patrol was being conducted through trackers. The parliamentarians presented suggestions and recommendations during the meeting.

On this occasion, Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, CM Adviser Hanif Pitafi, Sardar Ahmad Ali Dareshak, Khawaja Daud Sulemani and others were also present.