The construction and rehabilitation of roads in backward areas of the province would be prioritised under the project. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
Thousands of kilometres of roads will be constructed and rehabilitated in rural areas across the province under the Rs150 billon-Khadim-i-Punjab Rural Roads Programme in three years, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Sunday.
He was speaking at a six hour long meeting convened to review progress on the project at the office of the Punjab Information Technology Board at the Arfa Karim Software Technology Park through video link. Sharif said the programme was a splendid example of using public money for the benefit of the people. The chief minister said the construction and rehabilitation of roads in backward areas of the province would be prioritised under the project. Sharif said the launch of the programme signified the allocation of funds for improving the standard of living of citizens resident in rural areas.
The chief minister said it was imperative to formulate a system of reward and punishment to ensure that the historic programme aimed at revamping the rural economy tasted success. He said no financial irregularities and unsatisfactory work would be tolerated with regard to the programme’s implementation. Sharif said upright contractors would be commended while those guilty of substandard work would be censured. He said no compromise would be made on quality standards and transparent disposal of funds.
Sharif said the programme would prove a game-changer for the rural economy. He said the programme would revolutionise the rural economy and generate hundreds of thousands of jobs. The chief minister said the programme was the largest project initiated to overhaul the rural economy in national history.
He said an effective system had been devised to monitor progress on the programme. The chief minister ordered trees and plants to be planted along roads to be constructed under the programme. He said maintaining roads constructed and rehabilitated under the programme would be a responsibility of the district authorities. Sharif said district officials would have to effectively discharge their duties on this account at all costs. The chief minister said commissioners would be held responsible if construction material was provided at inflated rates or was unavailable. He said complaints in this regard should be redressed within 24 hours.
The chief minister said zero tolerance would be shown to those who attempted to impede the effective implementation of the programme or undermined public interest. Sharif said a conference of contractors and consultants would be convened soon to remedy their problems.
He said work should be carried out on a war footing with regard to the establishment of labs at the division level to determine the quality of material being employed to construct and rehabilitate roads. The chief minister said a committee headed by the chief secretary should review the proposals submitted at the meeting and formulate a policy in their light regarding the programme’s second phase.
Ministers and provincial assembly members congratulated the chief minister over the programme’s launch. They said Sharif had won the hearts of citizens resident in rural areas with its initiation. The ministers and the MPAs said the programme would resolve major challenges confronting farmers and would enable them to conveniently transport agricultural produce to markets. They said the programme would bring about a revolution in rural areas just as various metro bus projects were changing the face of public transport in the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2015.
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