Elahi races ahead with popular projects

As Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has predicted early elections in the country, the party is swiftly reorganising its structure while the provincial government is trying to complete short-term but popular and visible development schemes across Punjab.

Though Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has not yet completed his first month in office, he has initiated a series of popular projects directly related to voters ahead of general elections in the country. In a short span of around three weeks, Elahi upgraded Gujrat – his native district – to a division, which now includes Gujrat, Mandi Bahuddin and Hafizabad districts.

He has also extended Rescue 1122 emergency services to all tehsils of the province, besides restoring the PTI’s flagship social safety and poverty alleviation project, Ehsaas Programme. He has also announced free education up to the graduation level, free medicines in emergency wards, upgradation of government hospitals, triple salary for doctors working in emergency wards, special allowance for specially-abled persons, own residence for Punjab government employees, the establishment of industrial estates and economic zones, lifting of ban on government employment and several road and infrastructure projects across Punjab.

Since the rift among the Chaudhry family has deepened, Elahi has especially focused on his home district of Gujrat.

A sum of over Rs16 billion is being spent on new and ongoing development schemes currently under way in Gujrat ostensibly to avoid any difficulties in the elections.

Chief Minister Elahi has also announced the establishment of Gujrat Engineering University as he set up the University of Gujrat during his previous term some two decades ago. Contrary to routine practice, the chief minister has also ensured that funds for all these development projects have been released to avoid delays in their completion.

He has also announced enhancement of the capacity of Wazirabad Cardiology Hospital and Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Hospital by 500 beds each, besides procurement of 170 new ambulances for Rescue 1122 to extend emergency services to all tehsils of the province.

The other day, he directed officials concerned to prepare a proposal to provide own houses to all Punjab government employees on their retirement, saying it is the right of all government officials to have their own homes on completion of their service.

Meeting with the business leaders and industrialists, the chief minister promised them business-friendly policies and the establishment of state-of-the-art special economic zones in Punjab.

He highlighted that pace of development work of the Gujrat Industrial Estate has increased. Several water, sanitation and solid waste management projects have also been initiated. He has also lifted restrictions of business hours imposed by the federal government with an aim to conserve energy.

He has also ordered quick recruitment on 664 vacant posts of disabled quota while announcing upgradation of the posts and a special allowance of Rs10,000 to disabled employees of the provincial government.

On the party front, the PTI continues to hold rallies and public gatherings to build momentum for early elections in the country.

Political pundits and critics believe that former prime minister Imran Khan has built a strong narrative against alleged corruption and foreign conspiracy.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2022.