LAHORE: The caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi and Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting to deliberate on cotton support price and discussed measures to ensure that growers receive the fixed price of their crops.
The meeting was attended by chairman FBR, group leader APTMA Gohar Ejaz, Fuad Mukhtar, Anwar Ghani, and senior officials from the Finance ministry.
Meanwhile, following his visit to the Akbar Chowk flyover project, CM Mohsin Naqvi advised the cotton growers not to undersell their crop and emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring the sale of cotton at a minimum rate of 8,500 rupees per maund. He reassured the farmers that they would receive the full value for their cotton produce.
He urged the commissioners and deputy commissioners to enforce this rate in their respective areas. The prime minister and the Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar are also actively involved in addressing this issue, he added.
The CM further stated that there is, currently, no major flood threat in Punjab, and the government is taking steps to eliminate illegal settlements and encroachments along the riverbanks. Continuous monitoring of water inflows is being carried out, with reports being compiled every six hours.
He expressed confidence in completing development projects in Lahore on schedule and mentioned that the Akbar Chowk project is progressing as planned, with efforts to mitigate any delays caused by rainfall.
Furthermore, he added that the construction work on the Cavalry Ground, Ghora Chowk, and Nawaz Sharif Interchange underpass projects is scheduled to commence on July 17. The Walton-Main Boulevard project is also progressing rapidly.
He emphasized the government’s determination to maintain control over kacha areas, preventing the return of criminals under any circumstances.
Earlier, the CM inspected the Akbar Chowk flyover project and emphasized the need to expedite the work to meet the deadline. He acknowledged the completion of 153 piles for the project and highlighted the measures taken to ensure smooth traffic flow during the construction process.
The construction of the flyover piles has been finished, and work on the adjacent U-turns is progressing rapidly, he added. This project aims to provide convenient transportation facilities and permanently address the issue of traffic congestion. Additionally, the preservation of trees is being prioritized during the project's execution, he noted.
The commissioner/DG LDA briefed that out of the 31 pile caps, 7 have been completed, with work actively underway on the 8th pile cap. The construction of piers is in progress, with concreting for the shafts of 4 piers already accomplished.
Additionally, a notable milestone has been reached with the completion of 4 out of 66 box graders. Construction work is ongoing for 10 U-turns, and rigid concrete work for 3 U-turns has already been finalized, while the piling process for one U-turn has also been completed.
Provincial Ministers Mansoor Qadir, Azfar Ali Nasir, Amir Mir, CCPO Lahore, Chief Engineer LDA, MD WASA, CTO Lahore, and others were also present.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023