Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has announced a Rs160 billion Sutlej Indus Economic Network (SIEN) project to connect several cities with motorways and highways.
According to an official statement, the project is likely to generate millions of dollars and open a new chapter of development and prosperity for farmers, traders, industrialists and investors.
The project will be implemented in Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Lodhran and Bahawalpur districts in phases to connect them with the motorways, GT Road and Indus Highway.
Presiding over a meeting in which the project was approved, the chief minister explained that in the first phase the Kasur bypass to Lahore Ring Road G-1 SIEN Corridor would be completed at a cost of Rs15 billion.
Seven remote districts of Punjab will be connected with the M-2, M-3, M-4, M-5 and M-11 motorways.
The chief minister said access to 49 per cent commodity-producing markets would be improved through the highways, at least 3,431 industrial units of food, agriculture and metal products would be promoted and business activities in nine towns and smaller settlements in the districts would increase.
He said the network’s North-South Corridor would connect Depalpur, Pakpattan, Vehari, Multan Road, Head Sulemanki Minchinabad, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar Road. Changara East Interchange will be connected to Bahawalpur N-5 National Highway, he added.
Meanwhile, Hasilpur will be connected with M-3 at Rajana through Vehari, Burewala and Chichhwatani. Chishtian to Burewala and Sahiwal to Samundri link road. The Bahawalnagar to Sahiwal road will be connected with M-3 via Arifwala.
A SIEN corridor will also be constructed from Minchinabad to Sahiwal via Pakpattan.
Due to the development and creation of employment opportunities in the backward and remote districts, the pressure on the big cities will be reduced, the chief minister noted.
Allahabad will be connected to the Jaranwala M-3 Interchange through Chunian, Pattoki and Halla. Sharqpur Interchange will be connected with Raiwind Ring Road. The establishment of specialised potato machinery centres in Pakpattan and Okara under the project will provide economic benefits to farmers.
By installing solar dryers and colour sorters in Bahawalnagar, red chilli farmers will be able to get a better price for the crop.
The Vehari Industrial Estate will be converted into an agro-industrial park. Economic activities will increase in Kasur Small Industrial Estate and Dry Port.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2022.
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