The provincial planning and development (P&D) department has badly failed to implement the orders of chief minister (CM) to clear new and on-going development schemes in the province by the end of February.
Due to poor coordination of the department with the relevant administrative officials, 23 development schemes are still pending with the P&D department. According to documents available with Business Recorder, the Chief Minister Secretariat had directed Chairman P&D Hamid Yaqub Sheikh to complete all ongoing and new development schemes till the end of February, but later badly failed to do the needful. The CM Secretariat showed displeasure and held the chairman and secretary P&D responsible for delaying clearance of the projects, causing increase in cost for these schemes with every passing day.
Knowledgeable sources in the P&D department, said that MPAs of various constituencies met Prime Minister Imran Khan during his last visit to Lahore and complained against the chief minister and the chief secretary Punjab. They told the premier that no development work has been carried out in their constituencies since the PTI government came into power.
After listening to the legislators' complaint, the PM ordered the chief minister and chief secretary to redress their grievances and complete the proposed development schemes with immediate effect. So, the CM issued the directions to the chairman P&D accordingly but to no avail.
According to the sources, development schemes pending with the planning and development department include Establishment of Medical Collage at Bahawalbnagar with estimated cost of Rs 23312.529 million, establishment of Mother and Child Block at Teaching Hospital DG Khan with estimated cost of Rs 3,707.086 million, construction of hostels for students of Services Hospital, Lahore, with estimated cost of Rs 1,013.057million, provision of missing specialties for up-gradation of DHQ Hospital to Teaching Hospital, Gujranwala, with estimated cost of Rs 6,910.075 million, establishment of Orthopedic Unit-II at Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur with estimated cost of Rs 1,050.057million, up-gradation of Thalassemia Unit & Bone Marrow Transplant Centre at B.V. Hospital, Bahawalpur, with estimated cost of 1,101.552 07 million, establishment of 60-bed Hospital at Jaurrian Chakri Road Rawalpindi with estimated cost of Rs 540.626mn, establishment of DHQ Hospital, Multan, with estimated cost of 1,826.308million and construction of custom-made building of Punjab Public Service Commission Regional Office, Multan, with the estimated cost of Rs 646.338mn.
As many as six development schemes of irrigation sector including feasibility study and proposing solutions of problematic small dams in development zone with estimated cost of Rs 274.423mn, remaining land acquisition for Greater Thal Canal project with estimated cost of Rs 7,394.893, restoration of launched apron of right guide bund of Qadirabad Barrage (NDRMF) with estimated cost of Rs 51.077mn, feasibility study for enhancing capacity of Shahdara Railway Bridge and old GT Road Bridge on River Ravi, Lahore, with the estimated cost of Rs 11.756 11 millions, raising and strengthening of Kalera Flood Bund from Balloki to Sidhnai Ravi River with estimated cost of Rs 233.267 million, construction of Mohra Shera Dam in District Rawalpindi with estimated cost of Rs 861.248 million, industries and skill development sector cluster development initiative (J&C,DLI-6) with the estimated cost of Rs 7,132.688 million are still incomplete.
Similarly, one scheme in water sector with estimated cost of Rs 500 million is also under process with the P&D department with no progress.
The three development schemes of urban sector are also incomplete including replacement of outlived water supply lines and tube wells in Multan with estimated cost of Rs 1,000 million, sewerage scheme for un-served areas of Multan with estimated cost of Rs 800 million, water supply scheme for un-served areas of Multan with estimated cost of Rs 500 million, provision of agri credit smart card to farmers for direct transfer of farm subsidies with the estimated cost of Rs 150 million.
The only project in agriculture sector - solarization of basic health units phase with estimated cost of Rs 450 million and another scheme of restructuring of directorate general of monitoring and evaluation with estimated cost of Rs 562.409 million are also pending with the concerned department with no progress notwithstanding the same were to be completed by the end of February as per dictions of the chief minister.
The sources in the finance department have confirmed that proposals of above mentioned 23 development schemes yet have not been received. They further said that funds are available and they will be released after receiving of proposals from the P&D department.
Comments
Comments are closed.