LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar Thursday announced a Rs9.48 billion development package for Bhakkar for the completion of 106 development projects. 

 He also inaugurated 76 development projects worth Rs1.22 billion and laid the foundation stone of 26 schemes valuing Rs1.12 billion. The Chief Minister performed the inauguration of the revamping scheme of 48-kilometre long roads under RAP phase-I at DC Office Bhakkar.   He was told that Rs500.7 million will be spent on the project under Naya Pakistan Manzalain Asaan Project. He also inaugurated construction of 30 roads and water drainage schemes under community development programme phase-I and Phase-II including  42 schemes to be completed with a cost of Rs620 million. 

He laid the foundation stone of Thal University and 26 development projects of Rs1.12 billion also including  five roads construction projects of 63 km length under RAP phase-II with a cost of Rs660 million.   

He also laid the foundation stone of 12 km long ten roads’ construction and nine water drainage projects under CDP phase-II. Rs17 crore will be spent on it. 

70 roads will be repaired and five drainage and water supply schemes will be completed: CM 

Buzdar says child protection centre will also be instituted in Bhakkar with a cost of Rs2 crore

The CM laid the foundation stone of the model bazaar valuing Rs8 crore.  Talking to the media, CM said DHQ hospital will be upgraded and cardiac centre will be established in Bhakkar while trauma centres will also be made in THQ hospitals of Darya Khan and Mankera. 

Bhakkar Circuit House will be renovated, 70 roads will be repaired and five drainage and water supply schemes will be completed, he added. He said 11 health projects, five school education schemes, four higher education projects and three livestock projects will also be completed in Bhakkar. 

Four Local Bodies, TEVTA, police and rescue schemes are also included in the district development package, he said. 

Meanwhile, 234-acre land is reserved for Thal university and Rs23 crore is released. The Thal University Act has been approved by the cabinet and the same will be presented before the assembly, he added.  The CM disclosed that PM requested for dualization of the 237 km long MM Road in PPP mode. He regretted that the greater Thal canal project was put on the back burner for 13 long years.  He said a that child protection centre will also be instituted in Bhakkar with a cost of Rs2 crore. Meanwhile, livestock farm upgradation will be completed at Rs18 crore, he said. 

The ADP schemes will be completed with Rs10.35 billion. He said 13,000 recruitments had been made in the police and 550 new vehicles had been given to the police department.  The CM said 120 DHQ and THQ hospitals were being revamped besides the 200-250 bed mother & child hospital.

 He said 53 lac families will be given Sehat Cards and 2.93 crore families will be registered this year for health insurance. 

He said 11 crore people will benefit from the Health Card Scheme. He said Rs60 billion have been reserved for Universal Health Insurance this year and Rs1.5 billion have been approved for the procurement of the corona vaccine. 

He said approval had been granted to establish five new hospitals, he added that work is in progress on Nishtar Hospital phase-II Multan, Sheikh Zayed Hospital phase-II Rahim Yar Khan, Cardiology Hospital DG Khan, Mother & Child Hospital Ganga Ram Lahore and Mother & Child Hospital Sialkot. Similarly, six new universities have been established and cabinet approval is granted for nine universities. 32 new colleges will be established by June and 15 thousand students will be given Rehmatul-Lil Alameen Scholarships, he added. 

The CM said 2500 lecturers had been  recruited through PPSC and a request had been made to hire an additional three thousand lecturers. The establishment of ten new cement plants has been approved and ten more units will also be built, he said. This will result in three billion dollars’ local and direct investment, he added. 

Usman Buzdar said that the number of arazi record centres had been increased from 152 to 400 and 8 thousand Dahi Marakaz-e-Maal will be set up in every revenue circle by the end of this year, he stated. He said 15 arazi centres were operational in Bhakkar and 13 more will also be built.  

“It’s my maiden visit to Bhakkar and it looks like DG Khan to me. I have an understanding of the deprivation of this area”, he added. 

He said the farmers received good rates of wheat and sugarcane crops and facilities were provided at procurement centres as the bumper wheat crop has been produced. One million farmers are receiving a direct subsidy through kisan cards and more farmers will be included in this scheme, he said. 

Replying to the questions of the media, the CM said state lands worth Rs450 billion have been retrieved in an anti-encroachment drive. “Parliamentarians are my support and we will remain unified. There is no difference or squabble with anybody. 

The police were used for political purposes in the past but the incumbent government empowered the police department and provided resources to it”, concluded the CM.   

 Parliamentarians from Bhakkar meet with CM

 

Members National and Provincial Assemblies and PTI office-bearers called on Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in Deputy Commissioner’s Office Bhakkar on Thursday and thanked him for awarding the development package for Bhakkar. 

They said that the CM won their hearts by announcing Thal university. MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel said that Usman Buzdar is a son of soil in a true sense and his doors are always open for all. 

MNA Muhammad Afzal Khan said that Thal is also benefitting from the fruits of progress and development. The Chief Minister has given due rights to every district and we are proud to have a Chief minister like Usman Buzdar. 

 

Member Punjab Assembly Saeed Akbar Niwani said that the development package is a vision of the Chief Minister and a comprehensive roadmap of the development and prosperity of the people. Amir Muhammad Khan said that consultation of assembly members in the development package will yield positive results. 

Ghazanffer Abbas Cheena said that Thal university will play its due role in the grooming of coming generations of the area. 

Amir Inayat Shahani said that the development package will alleviate the poverty of Bhakkar. 

Usman Buzdar announced to set up a cardiac centre in Bhakkar as well and assured the early solution of problems of public representatives. 

Usman Buzdar said that every district of Punjab is being awarded a development package under the vision of composite development. The government is making efforts to solve the problems through the District Development Package and proposals and suggestions of elected representatives are being given due importance in this regard. 

The government is working on setting up universities in every district of Punjab. 

Usman Buzdar said that completion of the district development package will resolve the basic public problems. Rulers of the past believed in pomp and show whereas the incumbent government is paying attention to resolving the peoples’ problems. 

Those who met the Chief Minister include MNAs Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, Dr Afzal Khan, MPAs Aamir Muhammad Khan, Saeed Akbar Khan Nowani, Ghazenfer Abbas Cheena, Aamir Inayat Khan Shahani, PTI office-bearers and other notables of the area.