RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Progress on the annual development programme for the financial year 2016-17 was reviewed at a meeting here on Monday, under Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

The Chief Minister directed the authorities to utilize all development funds transparently and in time. He said the people can get benefits of development projects initiated by the government if the development funds earmarked for these projects are utilized well in time and in a transparent manner.

He said billions of rupees were being spent on development projects in the South Punjab. He said work on the biggest development program of Punjab was in progress during the current financial year and for the annual development program an amount of Rs550 billion was being provided to provide massive facilities to the people.

Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the schemes to improve living standard of the people have been included in the annual development program, and education, health, agriculture, water and other sectors have been given priority by the government. He said funds worth billions of rupees have been earmarked for the development and progress of the people of the South Punjab, and all-out funds would be provided for the development in the south Punjab.

He said billion of rupees had been spent on mega projects in the South Punjab and all departments were playing their role in the transparent spending of funds. He directed the authorities to complete all projects in the South Punjab at the fast track. He said a visible change in the South Punjab had been witnessed due to these initiatives of the Punjab government. He said delay in the projects for the provision of basic facilities to the people would not be tolerated and effective monitoring of the development projects would continue.

Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said speedy steps were being taken to restore the ineffective water supply schemes and we need to work with determination, hard work and passion to achieve all development goals. He said rural roads of length thousands of kilometers had been restored under the Khadam-e-Punjab Rural Roads Program which had provided facilities to villagers.

The Chairman planning and Development gave a detailed briefing on the development projects. Provincial Ministers Manshaullah Butt, Malik Kamran Nadeem, Dr. Ayesha Ghous Pasha, MNA Hamza Shehbaz, Senator Masood Majid, Adviser Dr. Omar Saif, Dr.Aijaz Nabi, the Chief Secretary, and secretaries of the concerning departments were also present on the occasion.