'Rs 2.254 million allocated for special kids welfare'

The Sialkot district government has allocated Rs 2.254 million in the current fiscal year for the welfare of special children, who would get free textbooks, uniform, wheel chairs and hearing aid instruments besides 'pick and drop' facility and Rs 200 per month as stipend said District Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema.
Talking to media here on Thursday, he said the step has been taken for making the special kids a useful citizen of the society and enabling them to play their due role in the development activities of the country. Akmal Cheema also said that Rs 130 million in the current fiscal year for the improvement in the communication system in Sialkot district.
Under the programme, all linking roads and highways would be repaired and reconstructed for ensuring smooth and safe travelling facility to the masses.
Akmal Cheema said more than Rs 119.1 million had been utilised during last fiscal year on the accomplishment of 72 schemes of roads of which 39 schemes had so far been completed in the district. Apart from this, as many as 93 new projects costing more than Rs 418.5 million had been approved by the district government, he added.
Special attention had been accorded on the completion of watercourses in the district and in the current fiscal year Rs 40 million would be spent on the completion of 50 watercourses in Canal Areas and 17 in Barani Areas of Sialkot district, he added.
Akmal Cheema said that 67 percent of the total budget which is Rs 1.84 billion would be spent on the promotion of education in the district in the current fiscal year.
The Nazim said that foolproof arrangements had been made for averting the possibilities of bogus recruitment and payments in education department, adding the step has been taken keeping in view the serious irregularities and bungling in the education department.
Akmal Cheema said that Rs 52 million had been allocated for "Primary School Councils" for fulfilling the requirements immediately while Rs 25,000 each would be spent on the repair of 178 high schools of the district. More than Rs11 million would be spent in current financial year on the establishment of veterinary centres and agriculture laboratory to facilitate the farmers, he added.
The District Nazim said the special attention had been accorded on the proper utilisation of development funds and timely completion of the projects in the district.