Buzdar inaugurates mega projects worth Rs1.5b in Kasur

Says steps are being taken for development of remote areas

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated three mega projects worth Rs1.5 billion and laid the foundation stones of two other schemes amounting to Rs220 million in Kasur on Friday.

He inaugurated Safe City Project, Punjab Police Command, Control and Communication Centre and Rescue 1122 emergency service centres in Mustafabad and Khudian. He visited the Safe City Control Centre where a briefing was given about the project.

Speaking on the occasion, Buzdar said another promise has been fulfilled by the government today and voiced hope that the multipurpose safe city project will help to maintain peace by timely identification and arrest of criminals besides helping in other issues like emergency police response etc.

“The estimated cost of this project was $12 million but the incumbent government has completed it with a cost of $9 million in seven months which is the best example of transparency and speed,” he added. He said 450 CCTV cameras have been installed in Kasur to keep a vigilant eye on crimes. For this purpose, 160 kilometres long optical fibre cable has been laid and the latest equipment has been used.

He said PPIC-III system was interlinked with Lahore head office which would help in keeping an eye on Kasur district from Lahore.

Meanwhile, cameras have been installed in all the police stations of provincial metropolis and police stations’ continued monitoring was being done from IG office and Safe City Centre, he said.

He regretted that the remote areas remained deprived of the development process in the past but the PTI government would take steps for the development of these areas.

He said merely announcements were made by the previous government but the PTI government has taken practical steps and Safe City Centres will be established at all the divisional headquarters of the province.

He said Safe City Centres are also being established in Nankana Sahib and Sheikhupura and the concept of changing the archaic police culture is being given practical shape.

Later, board meeting of Punjab Safe City Authority was held in Kasur under the chair of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in which approval was given to amendments in service regulations of safe city authority.

The chief minister directed the authorities to constitute a high-level committee to settle the pending affairs pertaining to the safe city. It was decided to start Safe City Project in Faisalabad and Rawalpindi through a public-private partnership.

The chief minister directed to provide continuous electricity to the safe city Kasur office and asked the officers to work with renewed commitment and zeal. He said the university would also be set up in Kasur.

Commendatory certificates were also distributed in police officers and officials in recognition of their best performance by the Chief Minister. Provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Hashim Dogar, Asif Nakai, assembly members including Makhdoom Raza Ali and Sumaira Ahmed, chief secretary, IG police, ACS (Home) and others were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2019.