District development: Rs623m released for RY Khan

Earlier at a meeting of the District Coordination Committee on Saturday, Provincial Minister for Industries Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq said members of the national and provincial assemblies would propose schemes of more than Rs50 million in their constituencies. MNA Sheikh Fayyazuddin was present at the meeting.

Shafiq said several MNAs from the region had requested the chief minister in a recent meeting to release funds for their districts from the South Punjab Development Fund. He said the MNAs had shared their concerns about incomplete and missing development schemes in the district. Shafiq said the CM had emphasised that the funds were not being released for the sake of some MNAs. Instead, he had said, the funds should be utilised effectively.

Stressing the need for provision of social welfare and basic facilities to the people, Shafiq suggested extending the underpass and roads projects in Sadiqabad. He said he had received complaints from Khanpur about sewerage systems problems, dilapidated roads, lack of clean drinking water and schools. He said these problems needed to be addressed urgently.

MNA Mian Imtiaz Ahmad said the district had been deprived of development over the last decade. He said lack of interest by former MNAs and MPAs had aggravated the people’s problems. He said the funds would be used for underpass extension, upgrade of educational institutes, infrastructure and provision of health facilities.

The Saturday meeting defined key areas that needed funds. It was decided that a bus stand be built in Rahim Yar Khan, sewerage schemes in Khanpur and Feroza, an underpass in Abbasia, construction of several roads (121-1/L, 107-1/L, 112-1/L, 152-1/L), a women’s college each in Manthaar and Zahir Pir.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2013.