Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar held an important meeting at his office, here Friday in which different matters including establishment of Industrial Estates and Special Economic Zones, progress on the annual development program, provincial finance commission and Prime Minister's Kamyab Naujawan Program, were reviewed.

The meeting, which was also attended by Federal Minister for P&D Asad Umar, PM's Special Assistant on Youth Affairs Muhammad Usman Dar, pondered over development schemes for national and provincial constituencies.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that Rs187 billion have been released by January 22 under ADP. About Rs107 billion have been spent while Rs42 billion have been allocated for public-private partnership based projects. He said that a proposal of setting up of public-private partnership infrastructure fund is also under consideration. Similarly, out of the reserved amount of Rs62 billion, Rs42 billion have been released for development of Southern Punjab, he added.

The chief minister maintained that ban has been imposed on transfer of funds reserved for the development of backward areas to other localities or projects. He added that timely utilization of released funds will be ensured adding that 17 places have been identified for accelerating the industrial process in the province and a strategy is being devised for their development.

He disclosed that the Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park project will be inaugurated in the month of March. A new Industrial Estate will be established in Sialkot over an area of 1000 acres of land to create around 350,000 new jobs opportunities, he said.

He said that interim provincial financial commission award 2017 is functional while Punjab cabinet has given approval to the constitution of a commission under the Punjab Local Government Act 2019. This commission would be notified soon, he added. A total of 455 local governments would be formulated in Punjab, he added.

The chief minister said that billions of rupees have been earmarked for Punjab municipal services program and added that non-functional sewerage and water supply schemes will be reactivated under this program. Similarly, necessary machinery will also be procured for solid waste management and work will be done in constituencies. The Punjab Municipal Services Program will be started from next month, he added. The second phase of repair and maintenance program of rural roads is being started soon and roads' repair would also be done in parliamentarians' constituencies, he said. He said that Punjab will take a lead with regard to Prime Minister's Kamyab Naujawan program as it is a revolutionary step to empower the youth, concluded the chief minister.

Punjab industries minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Advisor to CM Dr Salman Shah, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema MPA, CS, Chairman P&D, Secretary Finance and others attended the meeting. Moreover, the CM in a meeting with Usman Dar discussed matters regarding provision of loans to the youth of the province under Prime Minister's Kamyab Naujawan program.

Usman Buzdar said that youth is our asset and PTI government is implementing a comprehensive program for their development. He said the government is empowering the youth.

Usman Dar said the PTI government allocated maximum budget for the youth in the national history. About 0.8 million youth from Punjab has come under purview of Kamyab Naujawan program. On the instructions of Prime Minister, the process of disbursement of loans is immediately being started throughout the country and provision of employment to the youth is the top priority of the government, he added.