BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has released a sum of Rs3,500 million, out of a total allocation of Rs3 billion, for the establishment of a veterinary university here.

This was told during a meeting held to review the uplift schemes for the division presided over by Commissioner Saqib Zafar on Wednesday.

The meeting also reviewed the construction work of the Khwaja Farid University, Rahim Yar Khan.

It was told that the tenders for the construction of the academic blocks of the electrical and civil engineering wings, six laboratories, boundary wall and purchase of machinery for the varsity costing over Rs4 billion had been invited.

The building department officials informed the meeting that about 66 per cent construction work costing over Rs800 million of a medical college in Bahawalnagar had been completed.

It also finalised the plan for the development of a lake (within the bed of dried up River Sutlej near the city) for which the prime minister Nawaz Sharif during his last week’s visit here announced Rs600 million.

According to the commissioner, the proposed lake would be 13km long, having water capacity of 10,000 acres feet. He said the plan of the project would be soon finalised by the federal government. World Bank would also provide funds to the tune of Rs1 billion for the project, he added.

He said the project’s construction work could begin by the middle of current month and could be completed within a year and a quarter. He said presently installation of 46 water filtration plants costing about Rs500 million was in progress across the division.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2016