TAXILA: A development plan has been formulated for Attock under which missing civic facilities will be provided to residents of the area and this will improve their living standards.

Minister for Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari said this while talking to journalists on Sunday.

An amount of Rs11.7 billion would be spent on 1,174 different development schemes during the current fiscal year. The minister said that the Mother and Child Care Hospital would be completed at a cost of Rs5 million on 75 kanals of land during the next fiscal year whereas the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital would be transformed into a state-of-the-art hospital and space will be made in it so that 150 more beds can be placed inside.

He said the nursing school will be upgraded to a nursing college so students of the area do not have to travel to other cities. A blood bank will be established to facilitate thalassemia patients while 10 additional dialysis machines will be placed in the hospital besides eight trauma centres (in the entire district) to cater to victims of road accidents.

Funds amounting to Rs8.3 million have been allocated by the Social Welfare Department for establishment of a medical social unit.

While unveiling details about this, Mr Bukhari said that Medical Social Services Projects (MSSP) are established particularly for needy patients across the province.

Apart from this, a rehabilitation centre for special children and a children’s home would also be established in the district to accommodate orphaned children. He said for the first time, boards have been set up in all THQ hospitals for registration of special persons, determination of disability and issuance of certificates.

While talking about the education sector, the minister hinted towards establishment of University of Attock and its sub campuses in remote areas of the district especially near Jand.

A centre of excellence will also be established in Attock city to provide youth of the area with vocational training so they could be accommodated in projects related to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), local defence industry as well as oil and gas drilling companies. As many as 23 public schools have been upgraded while a building of Government Girls School Sanjwal was constructed.

To prevent traffic jams in the city, especially during peak hours, the main bus stand would be shifted to a new location and that space would be turned into a rehri bazaar to provide better space to cart owners.

Furthermore, the fruit and vegetable market would be shifted to a new location outside the city’s jurisdiction and for this new market, 20 kanals of land has already been acquired, Mr Bukhari said, adding this way, more space would be provided to local growers. He said six sports facilities would be established in the district to provide better recreational facilities to the youth.

Patron in chief of the Attock Press Club Syed Raza Naqvi apprised the minister about problems of the journalist community particularly the matter of the club’s premises being illegally occupied by the district administration.

The minister assured the journalist community that all their issues will be resolved and efforts will be made for allocation of a quota for local journalists in the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme.

PTI leader Syed Khawar Abbas Bukhari, vice president of the cantonment board Shakeel Khan Bangash, member of the board Syed Mehdi Shah, PTI Tehsil President Abid Chaudhry were also present on this occasion.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2022