Gubernatorial speak: Rajwana receptive to ‘charter of demands’

Governor says work on metro bus will be expedited

MULTAN:

Governor Rafique Rajwana said on Friday that the initiative to establish a secondary secretariat in south Punjab had not been abandoned.

He made the remarks while addressing MCCI members. Rajwana said a study of the project had been completed. The governor said regional offices of public units would be set up there. The governor said this would ensure that people from places such as Rojhan and Rajanpur do not have to traverse 600 kilometres to Lahore.

Rajwana said a women’s university, an agriculture university and a university of engineering and technology were being established in Multan among other projects on public demand. The governor said work on the metro bus project would be expedited. However, he said, hastening of work would not be allowed to be an excuse for inferior project quality.

The governor said challenges confronting businessmen involved in import and export would be quickly overcome. He said the feasibility of connecting the Multan Dry Port to a railway line would be raised in a forthcoming meeting. Rajwana said the government was cognisant of the Rs200 billion loss incurred by cotton farmers. Similarly, he said, rice growers had been adversely affected by low market prices for their produce.

Rajwana said the core cotton area was being delineated again. He said the government would not allow any sugar mill to be established in the area. Rajwana was receptive to the idea of flat prices being introduced for tube wells. He said he would request the government to look into allegations regarding the disparity between the price of land sold in Faisalabad and Multan for the establishment of fruit and vegetable markets.

The governor said an export display centre would be established in Multan. He said he would request the commissioner to allocate land on this account. Similarly, he said, land would be allocated to establish a Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the city. The governor said it was a travesty that functionaries responsible for public works across south Punjab were based in Lahore. Rajwana also promised to ensure that the MCCI was represented in the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Syndicate.

Earlier while delivering a welcome address, MCCI chief Fareed Sheikh said a centre had been established to preserve the city’s heritage. He asked for the MCCI to be granted representation in the aforementioned varsity’s syndicate. Sheikh also demanded regional offices of public units to be established in Multan. He also called for the imposition of a commercialisation fee on the Multan Dry Port to be waived.

The MCCI supremo also asked for cold storage facility to be established at Multan International Airport. He also demanded the extension of a subsidy to cotton growers. Sheikh said a relief package should also be introduced for realtors across south Punjab in general and Multan in particular.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2016.