‘Dividing Lahore in two districts to resolve administrative woes’

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said the provincial capital has become overpopulated thus its bifurcation in two districts on administrative grounds was the need of the hour.

Presiding over a meeting to review proposals to bifurcate Lahore into two administrative districts on Tuesday, Buzdar underscored that any decision to divide the city into two administrative units will be made after detailed deliberations and political consensus.

Senior Member Board of Revenue presented proposals to meeting participants to bifurcate Lahore into two districts on administrative grounds. It was highlighted that administrative bifurcation in two districts would lead to the creation of new tehsils in Lahore.

The chief minister directed officials concerned to present final proposals besides preparing a new map as per the bifurcation plan.

Punjab chief secretary, principal secretary to the chief minister and other senior officers attended the meeting.

Punjab government had initially announced to divide city last year. As per initial proposals, the government had decided to divide Lahore into City and Saddar districts.

Earlier, the CM has directed the authorities concerned to constitute a special anti-beggary squad to nab the professional beggars in different zones in phases. While presiding over a meeting to review the performance of the social welfare department and steps taken for the welfare of the indigent strata, the CM directed the authorities to devise a comprehensive skills development programme for poverty alleviation.

He further directed the department concerned to sensitise people about the institutions providing welfare related services along with setting up a helpline.

A community welfare centre will be established in Lahore to make transgender persons a useful part of society, he said.

The elderly occupants of old-age homes should be regularly checked, the CM told and announced that new shelter homes will be functionalized in Gujranwala, Multan, Pakpatton and Jhang while children homes will be established in Attock and Toba Tek Singh for the lost and abandoned children. Furthermore, a state-of-the-art centre for the treatment of addicts will be set up, he said. The addicts will be provided technical and vocational training to earn their livelihood. Earlier, the secretary social welfare department briefed about departmental performance.

SACM Hasaan Khawar, Commissioner and DC Lahore, DG social welfare and others attended the meeting.

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Buzdar presided over a high-level meeting in his office here on Tuesday. The meeting discussed establishing public schools in Koh-e-Suleman, a tribal area of DG Khan and gave principal approval to establish public schools of excellence for boys and girls. The CM was directed to finalize the proposals of establishing Kohi Suleman’s public school of excellence and to prepare a workable model and asked the infrastructure development authority Punjab to prepare the master plans of the schools. The CM said that the Punjab government was providing quality education to students of far-flung areas having limited resources and also establishing quality schools in difficult terrains would be a beneficial investment on the new generation as it would help to discourage the trends of extremism in tribal areas.

Buzdar expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the death of children in a road accident near Gojra and extended sympathies to the bereaved families. The CM has directed the administration to provide the best treatment facilities to the injured children and action be initiated against the driver responsible for the accident.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2021.