Punjab Chief Minister, Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has expressed his displeasure over delay in the construction of Kasur-Lahore Road and ordered suspension of Chief Engineer Communication and Works as well as the officers responsible for payment to the contractor before the completion of the project.
He has also ordered Chief Minister's Inspection Team to hold an inquiry into the matter as well as action against the concerned contractor. He further ordered to blacklist a private construction company, ECO West, for substandard construction and delay in the execution of the project. He also issued instructions for immediate suspension of Medical Superintendent of District Headquarters Hospital Kasur for substandard medical facilities and poor sanitary arrangements in the hospital.
Similarly, Chief Minister announced financial assistance of Rs 5, 00,000 for the family of a six-year old girl who was criminally assaulted in Chunion. He issued these orders during a briefing regarding the pace of construction work on Lahore-Kasur Road at Mustafabad, Kasur, and Thursday.
Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Special Assistant Pervez Rasheed, MNAs and MPAs, Chief Secretary Punjab and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister said that Kasur-Lahore Road project started at a cost of Rs 5 billion should have been completed three years ago but due to criminal negligence in its execution the government would have to bear heavy additional expenditure. He said that Musharraf and his companions made tall claims of development of the country but the reality belies all these claims. He said that despite release of funds for Lahore-Kasur Road, this project could not be completed even after three years.
He said that no arrangements for third party audit were made for the project worth Rs five billion, which was very surprising. He said that due to delay in this project, people were not only facing a number of problems but the patients of Kasur and its adjacent areas were also not able to reach hospitals in Lahore during emergency. He has also called for a report from NESPAK authorities by October 15 with regard to substandard construction of Lahore-Kasur Road.
He said that he is the chief servant of the people and custodian of national resources therefore proper utilisation of every penny of public money would be ensured and no one would be allowed to usurp the rights of the people.
He said that he would not make any compromise in this regard. He said that irregularities in the project of Lahore-Kasur Road were ignored by the past rulers and now these have come to surface due to his interest in this project.
The Chief Minister said that he had introduced third party audit system for ensuring transparency in the execution of development projects and proper utilisation of funds during his last tenure so that national resources should only be utilised for the welfare of the masses.
He said that people would never forgive those who embezzled national resources. He said that criminal negligence of such private construction companies would be exposed as they have created problems for the people despite receiving funds.
Secretary Communication and Works during his briefing told that the construction work of more than 52-km long Lahore-Kasur Road was given to three different private companies by dividing it into three portions. He also gave details of construction work carried out by these private companies. Chief Minister lauded the performance of a private company, which had been blacklisted during his last tenure but had improved its performance.
Later, Chief Minister Punjab paid a surprise visit to District Headquarters Hospital Kasur and ordered immediate suspension of MS for poor arrangements in the hospitals. He took strict notice of a non-operational dialysis machine for the last four years in the hospital and reprimanded the doctors. He also went to the house of a six-year old mentally handicapped girl who had been subjected to criminal assault in Chunion and assured her parents that the accused would be awarded deterrent punishment. He also issued instructions for providing a house in addition to financial assistance to the affected family.
Parents of the girl told the Chief Minister that they were very poor people and shelter less upon which Chief Minister directed DCO Kasur to immediately provide a residence to them. Chief Minister also inspected construction work of overhead bridge in Changa Manga.
Comments
Comments are closed.