LAHORE: Punjab government has approved Rs23.85 billion for the Khushhal Dehat Programme, aimed at improving infrastructure in villages, with Rs50 million earmarked for development work in each village.
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the first phase of the programme would cover 475 villages, where paved streets and a proper sewerage system would be developed. She directed the authorities to release the first instalment of funds to village development committees by November.
Under the programme, a committee comprising five government and four private members will oversee development projects. The relevant additional Deputy Commissioner (social services) will head the committee, which will also include the union council chairman and the concerned sub-engineer.
The Chief Minister has also sought a development plan for another 2,000 villages in the second phase of the initiative. She said the provision of paved streets and an organised sewerage system in every village across Punjab was a priority, adding that development would be carried out across both urban and rural areas without discrimination on political grounds.
“Development programmes and resolution of public issues are the right of every area of Punjab,” she said, adding that political affiliations would not be allowed to hinder the province’s development process.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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