Punjab administration: ‘We spent six times more on development than last govt’

CM presents performance review, achievements of last five years.

LAHORE:

The incumbent government has spent six times as much on development in its five years as the previous provincial government led by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday.

The chief minister, flanked by senior members of his government and the bureaucracy, detailed the projects which had been undertaken and compared it to spending in various sectors by the previous government, while presenting a glowing review of his administration’s performance.

Planning and Development Chairman Javed Aslam said that up till March 2013, the government had spent Rs561 billion on development, including Rs80 billion in the ongoing fiscal year.

According to the figures presented at the press conference, the current government raised education spending to Rs111 billion, compared to Rs11 billion by the previous government; health spending to Rs71 billion from Rs11 billion; spending on water supply projects to Rs41 billion from Rs12 billion; on infrastructure to Rs318 billion from Rs104 billion; and on projects in southern Punjab to Rs292.4 billion, compared to Rs52 billion by the previous government.

Some of the significant development projects undertaken by the government, as stated in the review, are mentioned below.

Education

The major education projects undertaken by the government included the construction of 16 Danish Schools, which are meant to provide a high standard of education to talented students at low prices.

The Punjab government handed out 125,000 laptops to high-achieving students at a cost of Rs4 billion previously and is currently in the process of distributing another 125,000. Some 200,000 students have received computers so far.

Some Rs5 billion was spent on setting up IT labs in 4,286 schools, while Rs2 billion was distributed via the Punjab Education Endowment Fund to 41,000 students.

The government recruited 72,000 educators and regularised the services of 190,000 contractual teachers. It also launched a primary enrolment campaign to raise literacy.

For postgraduate study, the government set up the Rs100 million Resource Centre in Murree, which was built in six months and inaugurated at the lend of last year. The centre contains a modern digital library, connections with international libraries, live conferencing facilities, high speed internet, and hostel facilities for researchers studying for PhD and MPhil degrees.

Housing

The major housing programme of the provincial government was the Ashiana Housing Scheme, which offered cheap two- and three-marla houses to low-income families. A tenth of all houses have been reserved for orphans, widows, the disabled and families of security personnel killed in action, to be paid for by the government.

An Ashiana Housing area has been set up in Lahore and others are underway at Faislabad, Sahiwal, Kasur, Sargodha and Rawalpindi.

The government also set up 22 ‘model villages’ for families affected by devastating floods which rendered millions homeless and damaged crops over an area of 1.8 million acres. Flood victims are being provided houses in these model villages through computerised balloting.

Transport and infrastructure

The flagship transport and infrastructure project undertaken by the Punjab government was the Metro Bus Service in Lahore, which cost Rs29.8 billion.

The government also bought 110 air-conditioned CNG buses and made an agreement to acquire another 200 buses. These buses offer free travel to senior citizens and, for other users, cost the same as non-AC buses. The buses are being plied in Faisalabad, Jhelum, Sahiwal, Lahore and Sargodha.

The government also undertook the Saggian Interchange, Shalamar Interchange, Thokar Niaz Beg Flyover. Kalma Chowk Flyover and Lahore-Kasur Road projects.

Health

The major health project touted by the provincial government was the setting up of mobile health units in various districts including Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Mianwali, aiming to serve areas far from hospitals and clinics. Up to February 2012, these mobile units treated 365,658 patients. The government has invited tenders for the purchase of another 50 “international-standard mobile hospitals”.

Women’s empowerment

The Punjab government has fixed a 33% quota for women in government institutions, companies and task forces, including the Punjab Public Service Commission and is to set up day care centres at all educational and Government institutions. It has also set up a Rs2 billion fund offering women loans to set up commercial ventures.

The government also listed the Sports Festival, the Yellow Cab Scheme, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore Meat Processing Complex, Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme, Youth Internship Programme and Ujala Programme (Solar Lamp) as notable achievements.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2013.