Work on uplift projects: No compromise to be made on quality, transparency: CM

LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, while chairing a meeting to review progress on ADP 2021-22, emphasized that no compromise will be made on quality and transparency and directed to accelerate work on development projects.

The CM maintained that completion of more than 15,500 projects in three years is appreciable; about 3975 development schemes will be completed in the current financial year and approval of 95 percent of development projects has been given. Similarly, timely utilization of released funds should be ensured by accelerating the pace of work, he said. The secretaries should regularly review the pace of progress while the concerned officials should conduct the on-ground inspection, he added.

The CM said that good performers will be supported by the government while poor performers will have to be answerable for their slackness. The fruits of ADP valuing 560 billion should be devolved to the people as 35 percent ring fenced funds have been allocated for South Punjab. Meanwhile, the draft of the Punjab monitoring and evaluation policy will be approved by the cabinet, he added.

Moreover, the CM chaired a meeting to review the elevated expressway project. The CM gave in-principle approval to construct an elevated expressway from Gulberg to motorway M2. This expressway will cover canal bank road, jail road, Ferozepur Road, Multan Road, Bund Road to Babu Sabu and a bus passageway will also be constructed alongside. This project will ease the daily movement of the citizens as the traffic load will be 65 per cent reduced on major roads, he added.

Furthermore, the CM inaugurated a fleet of 64 new environment-friendly buses for the Lahore metro bus service at a ceremony held at metro bus depot Ferozepur road on Monday. The CM formally handed over buses to Punjab Masstrasit Authority and inspected the facilities after unveiling the plague.

Addressing the ceremony, the CM repeated that the provincial capital and Lahoreites have significant importance while the government was striving hard to resolve their problems on a priority basis. This 18-meter long bus will prove the best transport facility and the Lahore Masstransit Authority will provide the best travelling facility to 1.25 lakh passengers daily, he stated.

The PTI-led government has saved resources worth more than 2 billion rupees in contract with VEDA. The earlier deal was signed with a foreign company while the current contract is signed with a Pakistani company to save foreign reserves while encouraging local businesses, he appended. The incumbent government completed and functionalized the orange line metro train project in the best national interest, he said and added that its fare is limited to Rs.40. Around 6.3 billion rupees subsidy was also being given to this project despite financial crunch, he maintained.

The CM disclosed that an electric buses project will be started in Lahore to overcome environmental pollution and new environmentally friendly buses will also be introduced in major cities of the province. There was a shortage of passengers in feeder buses but the introduction of the cash fare system has resulted in a hundred per cent and 26 per cent increase in the number of commuters in Lahore and Multan feeder buses, respectively.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021