Covid-19 won’t hinder development: CM Usman Buzdar

LAHORE:Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Wednesday said the development budget had been increased worth Rs5 billion despite difficult economic conditions and the pace of development would not be affected due to coronavirus pandemic.

Talking to MPAs from Attock, Rawalpindi, Jhelum and other cities at his office, he assured that fruits of development would reach every district of the province and there would be no discrimination in the distribution of development funds for the districts. Ongoing development projects would be completed on priority and proposals of assembly members would be given importance in this regard, he added.

The chief minister said that DHQ and THQ hospitals would be upgraded, adding that new mother-and-child hospitals would be constructed with an amount of Rs11.5 billion. Similarly, Rs1 billion had been provided for the provision of health facilities in 196 BHUs, he added. He said that different projects, including water treatment plants and supply and drainage of wastewater would also be completed in 16 districts with an amount of Rs32 billion whereas wastewater treatment plants would be installed in five districts. The Punjab Municipal Programme had been started for providing basic local bodies facilities with an amount of Rs23 billion, he added.

He said that Rs10 billion had been earmarked in the new budget for the completion of Phase-2 of Naya Pakistan, Manzalain Aasan Programme. PPIC-III Project was being started in Rawalpindi with an amount of Rs9.25 billion rupees, he added. Usman Buzdar maintained that the economy had been slowed down due to the coronavirus pandemic; therefore, the Punjab government had given a tax exemption worth Rs56 billion to small businesses. The daily life had been changed due to coronavirus, however, the citizens could help overcome the spread of this disease by following SOPs, Buzdar said and added that the worst-hit areas were being sealed and every necessary step would be taken to protect the lives of the citizens. The chief minister assured that genuine issues of assembly members would be resolved. Those who called on the chief minister included Deputy Speaker Punjab Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, Provincial Minister Malik Asad Ali Khokhar, Mian Muhammad Farrukh, Mumtaz Manika, Ahmad Shah Khagha, Muhammad Naeem, Sardar Ahmad Ali Khan Dareshak , Muhammad Ashraf Khan Rind, Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari, Raja Sagheer Ahmad, Chaudhry Muhammad Adnan, Umer Tanveer, Ejaz Khan, Malik Taimoor Masood, Raja Yawar Kamal Khan, Tahir Randhawa and Zafar Iqbal.

condolences: Usman Buzdar expressed deep grief over the death of famous TV Compere, actor and poet Tariq Aziz. In a condolence message, Usman Buzdar prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss with equanimity.