BAHAWALPUR: Punjab Governor Baleeghur Rehman has said the South Punjab Secretariat set up in Bahawalpur and Multan by the last government will continue to function for the uplift of the southern region of the province and and serve its people.

Talking to Dawn at local circuit house before the inaugural ceremony of eight more Speedo buses, in addition to the existing 12, here on Saturday, the governor dispelled the impression that the South Punjab Secretariat was being rolled back.

Previous governments, including that of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had been pledging establishment of a separate southern province comprising Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions. However, to appease the parliamentarians from the southern region, the last PTI government set up the South Punjab Secretariat’s two separate offices headed by an additional chief secretary (ACS) in Bahawalpur and Multan, spending millions of rupees.

To a question, the governor held out an assurance that more funds would be allocated for the development of south Punjab region in the 2022-23 provincial budget, saying the government was already considering this matter and final decision would be taken soon in this respect.

Baleegh launches eight more Speedo buses in Bahawalpur

In his inaugural speech, the governor referred to the development schemes executed during the last PML-N government in Punjab led by Shehbaz Sharif, including Sadiq Hospital, Bahawalpur-Hasilpur road, adding that the Hamza Shahbaz’s government would particularly focus on developing the Bahawalpur areas.

He said the addition of eight more buses to the existing fleet was in fact fulfillment of the promise made by Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz during his Bahawalpur visit last month.

On the occasion, Mr Rehman also inaugurated the new sanitation machinery of the Bahawalpur Waste Management Company (BWMC).

According to BWPC Chief Executive Officer Naeem Akhtar, the machinery and equipment including containers, operational vehicles and dumpers worth Rs110m had been added to the existing stock to improve the sanitation in the city.

The ceremony was attended by MPAs Afzal Gill, Malik Munir Iqbal Channar and government officers concerned.

Later, the governor presided over a meeting to review the uplift projects being executed under Annual Development Programme (ADP) and district development programme.

South Punjab ACS Saqib Zafar, Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar and Deputy Commissioner Irfan Ali Kathia in their briefings informed the governor that under the ADP a sum of Rs50711.76 million for as many as 339 city uplift projects had been allocated out of which Rs10,312 million were released.

The governor assured the MPAs that more grants would be sought from the government for the completion of ongoing projects. A delegation of local Women Chamber of Commerce also called on the governor at the circuit house.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2022