Lahore, January 19, 2018 (PPI-OT):A high-level meeting was held here today with Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in the chair. The meeting examined the steps taken for overall development of the province including provision of better services and promotion of good governance at the grassroots. Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that far-reaching reforms have been introduced in public sector departments by dexterous use of information and communication technologies.
Due to it, service delivery mechanism as well as efficiency and efficacy of public sector departments have been improved. Meanwhile, composite development of remote and far-flung areas has been given due importance and mega projects of billions of rupees have been completed. The mission of providing better services to the people has been accelerated with commitment and dedication. Merit has been promoted in every sector and recruitments have been made purely on merit and competence.
He said that correct and transparent use of resources has been ensured as well and different schemes have been completed which have provided direct benefit to the masses. The Chief Minister said that our efforts for overcoming the energy crisis have bear fruit and load-shedding has been eliminated due to the completion of energy projects. The national economy has been directly benefitted from overcoming of energy crisis.
On the other side, Punjab government has set a high example of saving of billions of rupees in energy projects and this money has been spent on the programs of providing relief to the people. He said that stopping the efforts of dacoity of billions of rupees on natural resources of Chiniot-Rajwa is our achievement and billions of rupees have been saved in this project after a struggle spanning over four years. The people have been given prompt relief due to our efforts taken for bringing improvement in social sector.
He said that thousands of children of brick-kiln workers have been given an opportunity to study free of cost and more than two lakh and 75 thousand children of low-income families have been accorded an opportunity to study free of cost under Punjab Educational Endowment Fund. Meanwhile, missing facilities have been provided in 44 thousand schools and new hospitals have been established to provide latest healthcare facilities to the patients.
It is for the first time that high-quality medicines are being given free of cost to the needy patients and samples of medicines sent to international laboratories have been proved hundred percent correct. It is satisfying that mobile health units are providing diagnostic and treatment facilities to the people living in remote areas. The Chief Minister said that villages have been made neat and clean under the Khadim-e-Punjab Saaf Deehat Program and thousands of kilometres long farm-to-market roads have been constructed by spending a colossal sum of Rs. 85 billion under Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Program.
A network of developed roads, bridges, underpasses and flyovers has been spread in the province as latest infrastructure plays an important role in boasting trade activities. It is satisfying that small farmers have been provided interest free loans for the first time in this history of the province and landless farmers are also taking benefit of this scheme. The Rs. 100 billion Kissan Package has left positive impacts on the agriculture sector.
The government has also taken steps to provide food items on subsidized rates and keeping in view the importance of sports in the society; steps have been taken to promote sports activities. Besides developing five playgrounds for hockey, new grounds have also been made for different sports activities. Chairman P and D gave a detailed briefing about programs of public welfare. Provincial Ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Malik Nadeem Kamran, spokesman Punjab government Malik Ahmed Khan, Chief Secretary and secretaries of concerned departments attended the meeting.
For more information, contact:
Directorate General Public Relations, Punjab (DGPR)
Government of the Punjab
21-Mahmood Gaznavi Road (Abbot Road), Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-99201390-1-2
Fax: +92-42-99201371-2
E-mail: info@dgpr.punjab.gov.pk
Website: www.dgpr.punjab.gov.pk