‘Punjab far ahead in terms of development’

LAHORE:

“The Punjab is a model for other provinces. It is far ahead in development compared to other provinces,” National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter- Provincial Coordination Chairman Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan said.

He was chairing a committee meeting at Civil Secretariat. Qahar said he hoped that the provincial administration would continue to work with the same spirit. “Mechanisms devised for the province’s development are marvellous. The pace of progress in the Punjab is, too, better than other provinces.”

Briefing the committee, Chief Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal talked about various issues related to provincial autonomy following the 18th Amendment, including budget issues.

The chief secretary said that the Punjab government was committed to improving health and education sectors. He said that attendance of doctors and teachers was being monitored using modern technology. This, he said, had ensured 76 per cent attendance of doctors.

He informed the meeting that the chief minister regularly chaired meetings of health and education departments to review their performance.

The committee chairman asked the chief secretary to arrange monthly meetings with MNAs to discuss problems in their areas.

Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, Saeed Ahmed Khan Manais, Muhammad Arshad Khan Leghari, Begum Tahira Bukhari and Sabiha Nazir also attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2016.