LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to establish Punjab Economic Corridor Development Authority.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said this while presiding over a meeting to review mapping of the industrial areas in the province. The mapping should be conducted according to the international industrial demand, she added.

She said a comprehensive course of action should be taken in collaboration with Tevta, the industry, Board of Investment, PSIC, Urban Unit and other institutions.

Complete mapping and data of industry should be collected in every division, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Multan and Rawalpindi, she directed.

During the meeting, the proposal to undertake development of the labour force, job training and new projects for professional and skill development was also reviewed.

Approval for rehabilitation of the Cutlery Institute Wazirabad was also granted during the meeting.

The proposal to provide cutting, sizing and polishing facilities for marble and gemstone industry, along with establishing a special economic zone (SEZ) on the western route of CPEC in the area of Fateh Jhang was reviewed during the meeting.

The meeting was informed that one million labourers were working in the manufacturing industry in Punjab, while the textile is the biggest sector in the province with 11,258 units.

Socioeconomic Registry Programme

Presiding over another meeting on the proposed road map for the CM’s Initiatives with the support of Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), UK, the chief minister said: “Socioeconomic data of the entire population of Punjab will be collected through Socioeconomic Registry Programme for effective planning of various government initiatives.”

“Emphasis must be on monitoring of service delivery and good governance to ensure public welfare, ” she added.

She said cooperation with FCDO, UK, would be sought in health, education, solid waste management, climate change, provision of clean drinking water, increase in revenue generation and other sectors to provide efficient services to the people of the province.

She said the Punjab government was bringing effective and sustainable waste management system for the entire province, because it did not have a proper garbage collection system and lacks landfill sites.

Sports Advisory Council

The Punjab government has decided to constitute a ‘sports advisory council’ comprising foreign players and students.

Presiding over a meeting, the chief minister decided to reconstitute the Punjab Sports Board (PSB) and directed the officials to hire national and international coaches for the training of players and promotion of sports in the province.

The meeting also decided to establish multi-purpose sports grounds in 91 National Assembly constituencies in the province.

“A special planning unit will be constituted in the sports department to undertake planning and other development affairs. Biometric attendance will be ensured in the sports department to identify ghost employees,” she said.

“The youths face dearth of [sports] opportunities and are driven towards addiction. The sports infrastructure should be restored immediately for the youth and hockey competitions should be organised as it is our national sport,” she said.

The proposal to constitute the Institute of Sports Sciences Punjab was reviewed during the meeting. The CM ordered inclusion of basketball in the talent hunt programme. Approval for granting additional Rs2 bn for the Sports Endowment Fund being established at a cost of Rs2bn.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2024