Uplift projects for Lahore approved

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has announced mega projects worth billions of rupees for the development of Lahore and said the metropolis will be given its due right.

He said this while addressing a ceremony held in connection with the announcement of mega projects for the development of Lahore at 90-SQA on Friday. The government has decided to construct flyovers and underpasses to redress this problem. He further disclosed that flyovers would be constructed at Shakam Chowk and Karim Block Market Chowk.

“These two projects will cost approximately Rs6 billion. He maintained that an underpass would also be constructed on Ferozepur Road near Gulab Devi Hospital at a cost Rs1 billion.

Buzdar said that a state-of-the-art 1,000-bed general hospital would be established on 124 kanal land of LDA on Ferozepur Road near Arfa Karim Technology Tower. The project would cost Rs9 billion. This hospital will have a capacity of 400 beds in the general ward, 400 beds in cardiology and 200 beds in blood diseases wards. He said the summary of the health department has been approved in this regard.

He said that Mother and Child Care hospital was near completion at Ganga Ram Hospital with a cost of Rs4 billion. Children Hospital has been awarded the status of University of Child Health Sciences and an amount of Rs4 billion has been allocated for the same. Buzdar said a radiology department has been established at Services Hospital with the cost of Rs2.5 billion.

This radiology department has 225-beds as well. He said no new hospital was constructed in Lahore after Jinnah Hospital therefore pressure was being increased on the existing hospitals and the government has started working for setting up of new hospitals. He said an overhead bridge started from Railway Station to Sheranwala Gate will be constructed with a cost of Rs4.5 billion. The construction of this overhead bridge will improve the transportation between the North and South parts of the city besides solving the traffic-related issues.

The CM pointed out that in the first phase 4,000 apartments would be constructed in LDA city for the low-income segment of the society. He said the government was planning to launch a project of constructing more than 35,000 apartments over an 8,000-kanal of land. “The LDA flats will be given to the low-income segment on easy terms. The instalment of these flats will be Rs15,000 per month to be payable in 20 years.

” He said there was a plan to develop a new city on the bank of Ravi River on the pattern of Dubai. Ravi River Urban Development Project has been launched. “A mega water drainage project with the cooperation of the Asian Development Bank has been started in the city at Rs19 billion.

The completion of this project will ensure that no rainwater will remain stagnant on roads. It may deprive someone of a photoshoot in rainwater with long boots,” Buzdar said. He said old and dilapidated sewerage line would be revamped gradually and the project of the main drainage pipeline from Haji Camp toward Ravi has been completed. He said 10 underground water tanks would be constructed in Lahore to restore the rainy water at a sum of Rs2.8 billion.

He said underground water tank in Bagh-e-Jinnah had ensured the drainage of rainwater within a few minutes in monsoon season. Modern and international standard bus terminal would be constructed at Thokar Niaz Beg over 100 kanal of land at a cost of Rs3 billion. In the first phase, 50 electric buses will be plying on different routes and this project is being assisted by the World Bank. Scope of these buses will be extended to the other cities as well and no subsidy will have to be given, he added.