Wazirabad cardiology hospital: 200 patients suffer as approved funds not released yet

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said that funds approved for Wazirabad cardiology hospital have not been released for the last six month, which is really regrettable.

Presiding over the Punjab Assembly session on Monday, he said what was the use of such funds which keep going around the committees? He said due to delay in the release of the approved funds, 200 patients were waiting for their operations.

He said that because of non-availability of funds, all administrative matters of the hospital were pending, though Minister Imran Khan had appreciated that project.

The PA speaker said that he had also talked to the Punjab chief minister about the Wazirabad cardiology hospital, but nothing had happened. He said what the government was doing, why the budget approved by the assembly was not being released? “If the assembly decisions are not to be implemented, then what is the use of the assembly? It should be closed down,” added the speaker. Ch Pervaiz Elahi said the finance committee on development was the biggest hurdle in the way of completion of the government projects. Afterwards, the speaker referred the matter to the special committee No 12.

Earlier, during the Question Hour, questions about Labour and Human Resources were asked. Provincial Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja presented five ordinances in the house including an ordinance, The Sugar Factories (Control) Amendment 2020, Ordinance, The Sugar Factories (Control)(Second Amendment) 2020, Ordinance, The Punjab Local Government (Amendment) 2020, The Companies Profits (Workers Participation) (Amendment) Ordinance, The Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission 2020 with the approval of the speaker Punjab Assembly. Afterwards, the assembly approved extension of all these ordinances for 90 days each.

Law Minister Mohammad Basharat Raja also presented seven ordinances in the House including Ordinance The Sugar Factories (Control) (Second Amendment) 2020, The Punjab Board of Technical Education (Amendment) 2020, Ordinance The Punjab Local Government (Amendment) 2020, The Companies Profits (Workers Participation) (Amendment 2020, Ordinance Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission, The Punjab Hotels and Restaurants (Amendment) Ordinance 2020, The Punjab Tourist Guide (Amendment).

The speaker, with the consensus of the House, referred these ordinances to the standing committees concerned with the direction to report back in two months. The law minister also introduced four bills: The South Punjab Institute of Science and Technology Bill 2020, The Dera Ghazi Khan Bill 2020, Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Bill 2020, The Punjab Drugs (Amendment) 2020, The Punjab Privatisation Board (Cancellation)Bill 2020 in the House. Afterwards, on completion of the agenda, PA Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi adjourned the session till Dec 22 at 2pm.

A meeting of the Punjab Assembly Advisory Committee was held in the speaker’s chambers, which was presided over by Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi. It was participated by Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, Provincial Minister Ch Zaheeruddin and MPAs Malik Nadeem Kamran, Samiullah Khan, Khalil Tahir Sindhu and Arshad Malik.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary Punjab Assembly Mohammad Khan Bhatti and DG Parliamentary Affairs Inayatullah Lak.

The speaker asked for Fateha khwani in the House for the departed souls of former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, grandfather Sardar Sherbaz Mazari of Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Mohammad Mazari, former caretaker chief minister and opposition leader Mian Afzal Hayat, grandmother of opposition leader Hamza Shahbaz and former MPA Nazim Hussain Shah. Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi and ministers also offered Fateha for Peer Syed Faizul Hassan Shah with his brother Provincial Auqaf Minister Syed Saeedul Hassan Shah.