DERA GHAZI KHAN: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has announced 32 per cent employment quota for south Punjab in the provincial departments.

He said with the approval of the proposal of adding Bhakkar and Mianwali districts, the quota would raise to 35 per cent.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, he regretted that the former rulers did nothing for the backward areas but now the development process had been diverted towards remote areas to change the destiny of the people.

“I represent backward areas in Lahore,” he added.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan would soon inaugurate the south Punjab secretariat in Bahawalpur and the rules of business would also be notified at the earliest to make all the departments fully functional. A 66 per cent increase had been made in the development budget and “no one can point a finger at the transparency of the budget,” he stressed.

The chief minister said the 122km long Chowkiwala to Musakhel Road was being constructed to connect Punjab with Balochistan and added that this Rs10 billion project would decrease the distance by 100 kilometres. The cadet college at Fort Munro was being completed along with taking steps to resolve the drinking water issue and a state-of-the-art school would also be set up at Koh-e-Suleman, he said.

Four rescue stations are being set up at Sakhi Sarwar, Fort Munro, Chotti and Lound besides starting supply of electricity at Koh-e-Suleman and other areas, he added. Roads of DG Khan would be repaired and Sorra Dam would be started a Koh-e-Suleman this year while the feasibility report of four other dams was also ready, he said.

Earlier, the CM inspected the road construction project at Chowkiwala where he was briefed on the project. The road from Chowkiwala to Musakhel, Balochistan would be constructed in two phases via Zain, Barthi.

He also visited Shadan Lound to condole the death of Lund chief Sardar Shehryar Khan. He extended sympathies to MPA Sardar Javed Akhtar Lund and offered fateha for the departed soul. He also performed the turban-wearing ritual of elder son Bahadur Khan Lound.

The CM inspected the sports complex and inaugurated projects including synthetic turf hockey ground at city park, recreational facilities, and mother and child block in DG Khan teaching hospital. He laid the foundation of water filtration plant project which will be completed by Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority.

Mr Buzdar also attended the MoU signing ceremony of the e-research library project between Ghazi University, Ghazi Medical College and the sports department at Khawaja Fareed-ud-Din Masood Ganj Shakar Research Library at the sports stadium. He inspected the library and announced plans to expand the scope of e-research libraries to the whole province.

The CM paid a surprise visit to the central jail of DG Khan and inquired about the facilities being provided to women prisoners and juvenile offenders. He directed the officials to repair dysfunctional fans, improve the cleanliness of washrooms and add TV in every barrack. He also visited the jail hospital and inquired after the prisoners admitted there.”

The CM laid the floral wreath at the police martyrs’ monument at police lines and inaugurated DG Khan smart city project where he was told that drones would be used for traffic management during rush hours. The scope of this project would be expanded to other cities including Taunsa, he promised.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2021