Three 5-star hotels, shopping malls, business centres to be constructed in Punjab

With a view to attracting foreign tourists, three new five-star hotels, shopping malls, and business centres would be constructed over an area of 45 kanals at Upper Mall after demolishing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker's Houses and residences of some provincial ministers here at the Mall.
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi announced this while addressing the foundation stone-laying ceremony of two under passes at Shaukat Ali Road and Johar Town here at Lahore on Monday.
District Nazim Lahore Mian Amer Mahmood, Town Nazim Nishtar Town Major Rafiq Hasrat (Retd) were also present.
Both the underpasses would be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 190 million each within a period of three months. For the first time in Pakistan, a 40-storyed building has been planned in Lahore for which a company has assured availability of funds of Rs one billion. However, the Chief Minister said that some senior officials were of the view that the city's soil was not conducive for construction of such multi-storeyed building, he said.
The owners of Hilton, Inter-Continental and Sheraton hotels, have shown their interest in construction of new five-star hotels at The Mall.
"I have already directed the Secretary Communication and Works to build new houses in government officers residence (GOR) for speaker, deputy speaker and provincial ministers," he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that Ring Road project costing Rs 14 billion would be started from June this year. Sewerage system at Chowk Nakhuda is being improved with the cost of Rs 100 million, while various projects have already been completed in the city at a cost of Rs one billion during last eight months, he maintained.
'We are also going to start work on different roads including Chowk Yateem Khana, Multan Road, Samanabad and Ring Road while work on Hukam Chowk, Qurtaba Chowk and Azadi Chowk would be started in due course of time, he added. An amount of Rs 100 million has been provided for improving the city's sewerage system, he added.
Various mega projects are being completed in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi.
A task force has also been constituted with special assignment of promoting tourism in the province in general and in Lahore in particular. Special steps would be taken to renovate walled city, which is cultural heritage of our country.
He also stated that visas have been issued to 7,000 Indians to witness cricket matches.
About the development work in Rawalpindi, he said that an underpass costing Rs 300 million is being built at Committee Chowk. "We would change the shape of Lahore and Punjab as well," he added.
Meanwhile, talking to newsmen, he said the law and order situation is not so bad as was being reported. "We have arrested all the accused involved in ransom cases," he added.