Uplift projects worth Rs 260bn completed in Southern Punjab
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government completed development projects worth Rs 260 billion during the last five years in southern Punjab, which are six times more than the amount spent by the previous government.
Addressing a ceremony to distribute laptops among more than 4,000 students at the auditorium of Islamia University Bahawalpur, the chief minister said that the Punjab government had spent Rs 111 billion on education throughout the province, whereas the previous government spent only Rs 11 billion.
He said that an investment of Rs 50 billion had been made during last five years in Bahawlapur division, under which Daanish Schools in Rahim Yar Khan, Chishtian and Hasilpur; women colleges; flyovers; mobile hospitals; network of roads; 410-bed District Headquarter Hospital Bahawalpur; and other welfare projects had been completed.
Addressing the students, Shahbaz disclosed that laptops worth Rs 8 billion had been distributed among 225,000 students on merit during the last two years. If only five percent [of the recipients] became Arfa Karim, the destiny of Pakistan will change.
He said that investment on youth would create a new Pakistan and these students will develop a formula to eliminate corruption through these laptops.
Shahbaz said that all projects, including the Metro Bus Service of international standard, laptops, Ujala Programme and solar energy system, had been presented to the Transparency International for an impartial audit. He said that if corruption of even a single penny was proved, he and all government departments would be accountable to the nation.
He said that the PML-N government, with the collaboration of Germany, had started a 400MW solar energy project with an investment of $1.5 billion in Cholistan, which would start production within one-and-a-half years.
The CM said that if the provincial government could take steps for the elimination of load shedding with foreign investment for the welfare of the masses, why the Centre was sleeping during the last five years. He said that youth were builders of the nation and these shining stars will bring the country out of darkness and restore its image in the comity of nations by taking correct decisions in the upcoming election.
Shahbaz said that development projects launched in Punjab were started in Bahawalpur, which proved that the government had paid special attention to southern Punjab.
He said that the countrys current rulers ha made the government a beggar, but the PML-N would change all that. We should pledge that such a leadership would be elected in the upcoming election that breaks the begging bowl and be answerable to the people.
Later, the CM inaugurated the Civil Hospital completed at a cost of Rs 3 billion. Addressing on the occasion, he said that the hospital equipped with latest treatment facilities was a gift to the people of Bahawalpur.
He said that every penny looted by the rulers in the centre would be recovered. He reiterated that if an opportunity was given, Nawaz Sharif and his government would eliminate darkness. pr
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