Punjab govt taking steps for uplift of DG Khan, Rajanpur's Katcha area

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat Tuesday said that the Punjab government was pursuing plans to uplift the living standards of the people of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur's Katcha and tribal areas.

He was presiding over a review meeting of the committee set up in this regard at the Civil Secretariat.

Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari, Provincial Minister for Irrigation Mohsin Leghari, MNA Riaz Mahmood Mazari, MPA Ahmad Ali Dareshk, Additional Chief Secretary Home, IG Punjab, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Chairman Planning and Development Board Punjab, Commissioner and RPO DG Khan, Rangers officers and other officers concerned were also present.

The meeting consulted the stakeholders for security and infrastructure development in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur tribal areas and took suggestions for future course of action.

Raja Basharat said that Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Bazdar wanted to improve security and basic social structure in the Katcha area.

He said that Sardar Usman Bazdar was the first chief minister in the history of Punjab to think of development of Katcha and tribal areas.

He said that the problems faced by Border Military Police (BMP) and other agencies would be addressed on priority basis and the BMP would be provided with equal service structure, resources and training of Punjab Police, he added.

"It will remove the deprivations of the Katcha area and we would build more schools, hospitals, roads and create employment opportunities," he asserted.

Earlier in the briefing, it was informed that the tribal areas were currently being administered by political assistants, Border Military Force and Baloch Levies. Briefing revealed, "Out of 502 posts within BMP, 376 are vacant.

The BMP and Baloch Levies have a severe shortage of essential resources such as vehicles, buildings, weapons, equipment, etc."

Raja Basharat directed Commissioner DG Khan to prepare final recommendations in the light of briefing and suggestions of stakeholders which would be submitted to the chief minister Punjab.