LAHORE: Announcing mega projects worth billions of rupees for the development of Lahore City, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Friday that Lahore will be given its due right.
While addressing a ceremony, here Friday, the CM disclosed that a state-of-the-art 1000 beds general hospital will be established on 124 kanal land of LDA at Ferozepur Road near Arfa Karim Technology Tower at a cost of Rs 9 billion.
This hospital will have a capacity of 400 beds in the general ward, 400 beds in cardiology and 200 beds in blood diseases wards. He said that Mother & Childcare hospital is being completed in Ganga Ram Hospital at a cost of Rs 4 billion. He further stated that Children Hospital has been awarded status of University of Child Health Sciences and an amount of Rs 4 billion has been allocated for this university.
He added that the radiology department has been established in Services Hospital at a sum of Rs 2.5 billion. This radiology department has 225-beds as well. He said that traffic jam on all the major roads of Lahore have become routine matter which creates problems for the citizens. The government has decided to construct flyovers and underpasses to redress this problem. He further disclosed that flyovers will be constructed at Shakam Chowk and Karim Block Market Chowk. These two projects will cost approximately Rs 6 billion.
He stated that an underpass will also be constructed on Ferozepur Road near Gulab Devi Hospital at a cost Rs 1 billion. He said that people of North Lahore have been deprived from the basic facilities and an overhead bridge started from Railway Station to Sheranwala Gate will be constructed at a cost of Rs 4.5 billion. The construction of this overhead bridge will improve the transportation between North and South parts of the city besides solving the traffic related issues. He said that completion of these projects will provide relief to Lahorities in true sense. Permission has been given to construct high-rise buildings in Lahore. In the first phase four thousand apartments will be constructed in LDA city for the low-income segment.
He said that the government is planning to launch project of constructing more than 35 thousand apartments over an eight thousand kanal of land. LDA flats will be given to the low-income segment on easy terms. The instalment of these flats will be Rs15000 per month to be payable in 20 years' time period.
The CM said there is a plan to develop a new city at river bank of Ravi on the pattern of Dubai. Ravi River Urban Development Project has been launched. This project will raise the water level in the city besides ensuring investment of billions of rupees.
A plan has also been chalked out to establish Financial Centre near Walton and its feasibility is being prepared. A mega water drainage project with the cooperation of Asian Development Bank has been started in the city at a cost of Rs 19 billion.
The completion of this project will ensure that no rainwater will remain stagnant on roads. He said that project of main drainage pipeline from Haji Camp toward Ravi has been completed. He said that 10 underground water tanks will be constructed in Lahore to restore the rainy water at a sum of Rs 2.8 billion.
He said that underground water tank in Bagh-e-Jinnah had ensured the drainage of rainy water within a few minutes in Monsoon season. Modern and international standard bus terminal will be constructed at Thokar Niaz Beg over 100 kanal of land at a cost of Rs 3 billion. In the first phase pollution-free 50 electric buses will be plied on different routes and this project is being assisted by the World Bank.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020