Expressing government's resolve for the devolution of power to grass root level, Lieutenant General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiyani, Corps Commander Rawalpindi has said that the local body election in cantonment areas all over the country would be held as per schedule announced by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB).
"President Musharraf by initiating the process of the devolution of power has given a new vision and this will be completed all over the country in order to provide maximum facilities to masses", General Kiyani said while opening the Darakhshan Bahar Mela here on Saturday.
The Darakhshan Bahar Mela was arranged by Darakhshan, a rehabilitation project of the Pakistan Foundation for Fighting Blindness (PFFB) in order to create awareness about the abilities of the special people.
Besides Corps Commander, Chairperson PFFB Dr Salma Maqbool, District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani and CEO RCB Khwaja Iftikhar also spoke on the occasion.
In his speech General Kiyani said that the government is also committed in development work and development projects would be launched with the sole aim to serve the masses.
He said that the work on various development projects within the jurisdiction of the cantonment boards of Rawalpindi and Chaklala would start soon. "People would feel that a new era of development has started in this area", he added.
Government, he said, has approved six mega development projects in the cantonment area including widening and renovation of Airport Road, Mall Road, Adiala Road, and remodelling of the Kutchery Chowk, besides construction of four parks and a college.
"Provincial government of Punjab would complete these development projects with the active co-operation of MNAs, MPAs and other elected representatives", he said.
General Kiyani said that within next two weeks the work would be started on a mega project of making Mall Road a six-lane road of Rs 500 million and remodelling of Kutchery Chowk. He said that Airport Road would also be made six-lane road from Flying Chowk to Kutchery Chowk. The land would be acquired from different institutions for the purpose.
He said the widening project of the Adiala Road would also be started and the road would be widened up to Jinnah Park in order to end the road jams on this road. He said that the work on important ring road project round the Rawalpindi would also be taken into hand soon. "We have talked to Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi on these development projects. Provincial government would provide funds for these projects", Kiyani said and added that four parks would be constructed in cantonment area with the cost of Rs 45 million.
While praising the services of the PFFB and its project Darakhshan, the Corps Commander announced a donation of Rs 100,000 and also directed the RCB to provide a plot for establishing the office of the foundation.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Salma Maqbool Chairperson PFFB said that the sole aim of the Darakhshan Bahar Mela was to give people a know about the abilities of the special people, encourage these special people and give them feeling that they are a useful part of the society.
She said that the Darakhshan project is a beacon light in the lives of many girls and women with visual and other disabilities.
It was established in 1990 with the objective of training girls and women with the visual and other disabilities by equipping them with necessary skills like mobility training and personal grooming and training in vocational skills, she added.