The government was reluctant to approve the project of Rs 700 million for a six-lane bridge on the River Chenab near Muzaffargarh, which connects three provinces with Punjab and more than 10,000 vehicles use it daily, while the government was spending Rs 2 billion on the Ring Road of Lahore, Rs 1 billion on four underpasses, while seven bridges are being constructed in Upper Punjab.
It was stated by MPA Dr Muhammad Javed Siddiqui, while addressing a press conference at the Multan Press Club along with MNA Malik Liaquat Ali Dogar, MPA Nafees Ahmed Ansari, and Syed Ahmed Mujtaba Gilani on Sunday.
He said the people of Multan are forced to drink unhygienic and arsenic water because the government did not approve even a single scheme of water supply for this ancient city of 1.5 million population, adding that President General Pervez Musharraf had announced Rs 500 million for sewerage system during his referendum campaign, but this promise was not fulfilled so far, while Rs 6 billion for Rawalpindi and Rs 2.14 billion for Faisalabad on water supply schemes were allocated.
Similarly, he said the Zakat fund and Baitul Maal funds were being spent on upper Punjab while poverty lies in Southern Punjab.
He said another housing colony was being developed for the journalists of Lahore, but no step was taken for the newsmen of Multan and Bahawalpur, who are forced to live in rented houses in slum areas.
Javed Siddiqui said the PML-Q took four ministers each from Gujrat, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Narowal, and one minister from four districts of southern Punjab was taken, adding several ministers of this region are serving without offices, personal staff and secretaries.
He reiterated his demand for introduction of Haj flights from Multan, upgrading the airport as international airport, re-opening the Haji camp, development of Fort Munro health resort, and Lal Suhanra.