President of Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) Mian Zahid Hussain has lauded the plan of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to put all water-related organisations under the umbrella of a new department.
"The planned water resources department will help resolve different issues while providing better services to civil, industrial and agricultural consumers," he said, citing that Agriculture Department, Fisheries Department and WASA would become part of the Irrigation Department which would be renamed as water resources department.
The plan will be implemented within few years as Asia Development Bank (ADB) and Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction had approved technical assistance for transformation of the Punjab irrigation department to the water resources department.
Mian Zahid further said that the irrigation department was established in 1849 when British ruled the Sub-Continent but a lot had been changed since then and that had created many problems for the department.
"According to the plan, the paperwork including legal formalities will take two years to complete after which it will be approved by the provincial Assembly," he said, adding that funds would be approved for the newly-established department in the budget for 2019-20.
PBIF president expressed hope that the move would not only provide relief to the masses but also impact rural economy positively to help attain target of water vision.
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