CM seeks 5-year vision for depts

'Parliamentary secretaries also have no less status than ministers for me': Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to invite the parliamentary secretaries concerned to the departmental meetings.

During a meeting with provincial ministers, parliamentary secretaries and administrative secretaries, she directed the parliamentary Secretaries to get details of projects from their departments and submit reports regarding a five-year vision to her.

The chief minister said, "Parliamentary secretaries also have no less status than ministers for me. They are my assistants in the execution of government policies."

She said no person could solely run the government. Calling for joint efforts, she said each day was precious and five years were too short to serve the people.

She urged the parliamentary secretaries to open their hearts and the doors of their offices for the people.

She said Chinese investors had described Punjab as a land full of opportunities during a meeting.

The chief minister added, "The tendency to turn political opposition into hostility has harmed Pakistan a lot."

She said the government had been in the hands of incompetent people for four years, who had destroyed development made in 40 years.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said no one could initiate "as many schemes in five years as we have done in six months. Our schemes are not on paper but the work has started on ground."

She said the public confidence had declined due to the government attitude in the past but there was an encouraging response now.

"Inflation is decreasing and the prices of flour, milk and other essential items are on the decline," she said. The chief minister said the price of a bag of flour in Punjab was around Rs800, while it had reached Rs1,400 in other provinces. She said she checked then food prices live on screen and from other sources. "Reducing inflation is a joint responsibility of all of us," she said.

She said the delivery of Kisan Cards to about 400,000 of the 800,000 applicant farmers had begun.

She said the Rs1 million subsidy to each farmer under the green tractor scheme was a big initiative, while the owners of five-marla plots in cities and 10 marla in villages could borrow up to Rs1.5 million under the Apni Chhat…Apna Ghar Programme. The loan will have to be repaid in Rs14,000 monthly installments in seven years.

"We will achieve the target of building 500,000 houses in five years," she added. The first loans under the housing scheme will be released this month.

The chief minister said seven million consumers of electricity were being provided relief for two months in their bills.

She said the bureaucracy was fully cooperating to work as a team, while the performance of the police and administration was improving was the introduction of the Key Performance Indicators system.

"All of us should prove ourselves worthy of the responsibilities of public service," she added.

The chief minister said the government would also launch cards to offer services to members of the minority communities.