Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: INP
“Provision of health services to the masses is our foremost responsibility,” Chatha said. Renovation and development of the Kidney Centre, the Children’s Complex and the Shahbaz Sharif Hospital was almost complete, the DCO said.
He said 90 per cent of development work on the Children’s Complex was complete. “Rs1,872 million has been spent on upgrading the complex so far and 300 beds have been added to it.”
Chatha said a liver transplant department equipped with modern facilities would be established at the Shahbaz Sharif Hospital. In a few days, a power plant would be installed at the hospital and new furniture would be provided, he added.
Discussing work completed at the Nishtar Hospital’s Burn Unit, the DCO said more than Rs800 million had been spent on improving the unit last year. He said additional funds would be allocated in the upcoming budget to upgrade basic health units to provide better health facilities to the masses.
Officials of various departments gave the DCO detailed briefing on the on-going projects.
Making Bahawalpur beautiful
No one will be allowed to cut down trees in the way of development works, Bahawalpur Commissioner Saqib Zafar at a meeting with the Bahawalpur DCO, Cholistan Development Authority MD and the Development and Planning director on Tuesday. “All resources must be used to highlight the historical importance and beauty of Bahawalpur,” the commissioner said.
He directed the district administration, the Parks and Horticulture Authority and the Bahawalpur Waste Management Company to play an active role to maintain and restore the beauty of the city.
The commissioner warned the officials that cutting down trees would carry penalty and directed them to ensure that construction material was removed as soon as possible once the projects were complete.
The commissioner ordered the district administration to launch an anti-encroachment campaign to ensure a “clean and beautiful city”. Alternate arrangements should be made for unnecessary electricity and telephone cables and poles, he said.
Bahawalpur’s historical gateways, restored by the city administration, have restored the city’s true identity, Zafar said.
Civil society organisations should spread awareness among people and urge them to maintain the beauty of these gateways, the commissioner said. “Wall chalking and placing posters and banners on the new constructions in the city, and the historical gateways are strictly banned.”
Bahawalpur DCO Ehtisham Anwar said the district administration was looking into public-private partnerships to make the green belts of the road greener. He said Adventure Park, a recreational project, estimated to cost Rs30 million was under consideration, and Rs15 million has been allocated to set up food streets at two locations in the city.
He said under arrangements with the PHA, green belts and plants along roads would be watered by five tractors, nine water bowsers and a water lorry.
MNA Begum Perveen Masood distributed Jahez Fund cheques of Rs15,000 each among 39 women on Tuesday. A special ceremony was held in this regard at the zonal Auqaf office.
Masood said giving financial assistance to the needy was a top priority of the government. She said the process of handling applications for Jahez Funds and their scrutiny was conducted in transparent manner. The recipients were selected on merit, she said.
Zakat funds released
The provincial government has released Zakat funds amounting to Rs28.3 million for four districts in Sargodha division.
Zakat Committee Chairman Hamid Raza Bhatti said on Tuesday that there were 7,941 deserving people in the four districts including Sargodha, Bhakkar, Mianwali and Khushab. He said they would distribute Zakat funds before Ramazan began.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2016.
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