LAHORE: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the government has taken crucial decisions to accelerate development work in the province. All departments have been directed to complete their PC-1 plans for the next fiscal year by June.
She was presiding a high-level meeting to review the development projects in detail. Addressing the meeting, Senior Minister stated that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the release of Rs. 40 billion for Lahore’s development, ensuring immediate provision of full budget.
The meeting also reviewed third-party verification processes to maintain project quality, alongside briefings on project progress, fund utilization, transparency, and quality assurance.
In the health sector, significant achievements include the upgradation of 1,250 basic and rural health centers, the establishment of 1,200 dispensaries, and the completion of 432 health projects, with the second phase now underway.
Under the housing scheme “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar,” 80 houses have been completed within four months, and a record number of loans have been issued.
For agricultural development, Rs. 50 billion have been disbursed through the Kisan Card, enabling farmers to purchase tractors. Under the tube well scheme, Rs. 9.5 billion were allocated, with Rs. 2.5 billion already spent and an additional Rs. 6 billion to be provided. Maryam Nawaz is the first Punjab Chief Minister to have increased the agricultural development budget by a historic 300%.
Other development projects include five archaeology department schemes, set to be completed by March. Between November 1 and February 10, 32 umbrella projects were successfully monitored.
The meeting reviewed Punjab’s development budget, which was initially Rs. 882 billion but has now increased to Rs. 1,048 billion. So far, Rs. 693 billion has been released, of which Rs. 401 billion has been spent.
A total of 547 development schemes are in progress, including 81 special projects by the Chief Minister, 815 general projects, and 3,007 district-level schemes. Some 347 project inspections have been completed, and the continuous monitoring of the Chief Minister’s projects is ongoing.
Speaking at the meeting, Maryam Aurangzeb praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for accomplishing extraordinary development work within a year, urging all departments to maintain an exceptional pace. She highlighted that the Chief Minister revitalized inactive departments and ensured historic funding across various sectors, driving Punjab’s rapid development.
The meeting was attended by Chairman Planning and Development Nabeel Ahmed Awan, along with all provincial secretaries, who provided detailed briefings on ongoing development projects.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.