LAHORE: Information Minister Punjab Fayaz-ul-Hassan Chohan on Friday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had eliminated red-tapism in all government departments besides introducing revolutionary reforms in the health, education and finance sectors during two years of rule in the province.
In a press conference to brief the media on the performance of different Punjab government’s departments during the first two years of PTI government here, he said Ravi Riverfront Urban Development (RRFUD) project would give a new identity to the historic city of Lahore, adding that establishment of South Punjab Secretariat, 13 new industrial zones and financial reforms would put the province on the path to prosperity.
Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said, “The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, has completed two years of government despite of conspiracies of the opposition and mafias.”
On the fight against novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, he said the Punjab government had successfully overcome the novel coronavirus and contained the deadly virus through comprehensive strategy, adding that the efforts of the Punjab government were even recognized by the apex court while the SCP had asked other provinces to follow Punjab government’s practices in the fight against the virus.
“A Command and Control Operation Center was established by the Punjab government soon after the first coronavirus case was reported in month of February in Pakistan, and efforts of the Punjab government were hailed by the local as well as international media against the Covid 19 pandemic”, he responded.
Fayaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said the creation of South Punjab Secretariat would help in putting the less privileged areas of the province on the path to prosperity, adding that allocation of 35 percent annual development budget for the South Punjab would usher in a new era of prosperity. He said the initiative of the Punjab government, as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, would help allay deprivations of the people in the Southern Punjab, adding that it would also fulfil Prime Minister Imran Khan’s promise to establish a new province. He said offices of the Additional Chief Secretary and Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) had started to serve the people of the South Punjab.
He said 16 department’s would be functional in South Punjab Secretariat in first phase where additional secretaries would work as secretaries while within next three to four months remaining 17 provincial department’s would also be functional in South Punjab.
About legislative work by the cabinet, the Information minister said the past regime of the PML-N led 17 provincial cabinet committee meetings during its regime while the PTI government had conducted 34 meetings of the provincial cabinet committee during the past two years, adding that Punjab Advertisement Policy 2020, Command Area Modification Policy 2020, Forest Policy 2019, New Policy Assessment Framework 2019, Literacy and Non Formal Education Policy 2019, Punjab Tourism Policy 2019, Punjab Agriculture Policy 2019, Punjab Labour Policy 2018, Punjab Water Policy 2018, Punjab Industry Policy 2018 had been approved while three drafts of Punjab Social Protection Policy, Transgender Person Welfare Policy and Punjab Livestock Policy would be presented in next cabinet committee meeting.
“93 MoUs, 80 legal opinions for various provincial departments, 272 rules, 358 legal opinion on rules, 333 rules and notification published in official gazette were issued while 58 bills and 28 ordinances were passed by the provincial assembly during two years”, he said while hailing performance of the provincial assembly.
On Punjab government’s mega projects for the provincial metropolis, the minister said RRFUD project was among top mega uplift projects of the country as it would boost economic activity besides creating new employment opportunities, adding that an authority had been established for this projects. “As many as 13 mega uplift projects including Lahore Ring Road Southern Loop, Firdous Market Underpass, Rawalpindi Ring Road, Jalalpur Canal project, Khanki Barrage and Underground Water Sewerage Program in Lahore through public private partnership are being completed with a cost of 140 billion rupees”, he said.
About Punjab government’s achievements in the industry and trade sectors, he said only 30 special economic zones were established in the province since the creation of Pakistan since 1947 while the PTI government had initiated 13 special economic zones within short span of two years.
“Out of these 13 special economic zones, seven including Vehari, Bhalwal and Rahim Yar Khan industrial zones have been approved by the federal government while Gujranwala and Wazirabad industrial zones have been completed”, he said, adding that work on Quaid-e-Azam Business Park Sheikhupura had also been initiated and 563 industrial units would be set up at 1536 acres of land under this project that would attract the investment of 250 billion rupees besides creating 500,000 jobs.
About huge economic activity in the province, Fayaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said work on Allama Iqbal Industrial City Faisalabad was in progress, adding this project would bring foreign investment of about 400 billion rupees besides creating 300,000 direct and 1000,000 indirect employment. He further said Punjab government would give 10 years tax exemption to the industrial unit set up in special economic zones besides waiving off duty on import of machinery within one year.
On other initiatives in the South Punjab, he said a special economic zone was being started in Bahawalpur for uplift of South Punjab while Punjab small industries corporation had allocated 12 billion rupees for giving personal loans to the youth ranging from Rs 25,000 to five million. “An investment of 170 million dollars is also expected through Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT),” he said.
On the establishment of new universities in the education sector, he said Punjab Technology University Lahore, Mir Chakar Khan Technology University D.G Khan had been operational while a Technology University was also being built in Attock, adding that provision of interest free loans of Rs 500 million to the skilled youth had been ensured so that these youth could start their own business and create further employment. He said TEVTA’s training capacity had also been enhanced as it now provided skills’ training to 200,000 youth and 55 new courses had been launched to meet the demands of the international market.
The Minister further said work on eight new universities and 43 colleges and other educational institutes in Nankana Sahib, D.G Khan, Rawalpindi, Layyah, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Chakwal, and Murre had been started, adding, three new technical universities besides B.S programmes in 50 colleges had been initiated. He said for the first time in the province a comprehensive policy had been formed to bring improvement in school education system, adding that libraries had been put in place in more than 400 schools in 16 districts of Punjab.
Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said restoration work of libraries and schools affected by floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters was under way, adding that modern tools and equipments had been installed in 2,000 high schools in Punjab to accomplish the teaching objectives. He said, under the school construction program, the construction of additional class rooms in 1415 schools in 12 districts of Punjab had been completed.
The Information Minister said provision of free books with cost of three billion rupees, outsourcing of government school with four billion rupees and Rs 18 billion allocation for schools under Punjab Education Foundation were being ensured.
“A project to start 100 primary schools in provincial capital was also under consideration while about 11,000 schools in Punjab have been converted to solar energy to cater electricity requirements besides Insaf Afternoon Classes program was launched in 22 districts”, he said, adding that Taleem Ghar Online Learning TV to provide education to students during Covid-19 pandemic was another milestone of PTI government.
He said Punjab School Education Minister Dr Murad Raas under the leadership of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had introduced e-governance application for dealing with matters of transfers and postings of teachers, adding, this application would help in eliminating corruption from transfer/posting.
He said Punjab Excise and Taxation department introduced universal number plates and E-Auction system to ease the vehicle registration process, while one window operation was also inaugurated to facilitate the construction sector under ease of doing business as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
About initiatives in the health sector, he said that 12 new state of the art hospitals were being set up in Punjab to meet the healthcare needs of the people, adding, a state of art cardio hospital was established in Dera Ghazi Khan (D.G. Khan) for people of South Punjab and Balochistan, however Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar soon after taking charge of his office, laid foundation stone of 500-bed Nishter-2 hospital in Multan. He further said foundation stone of 10 storeyed building of Mother and Child Hospital in Gangaram Hospital Lahore was also laid which would be completed within two years with an estimated cost of three billion rupees.
He said a 200-bed Mother and Child Hospitals were being established in Bahawalpur, Layyah, Rajanpur, Mianwali and Gujrat. The establishment of Medical Tower in Jinnah Hospital Lahore, DHQ hospital in Chakwal, 500 bed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan (R.Y Khan), Institute of Urology and Transplant Rawalpindi, Gynecology Emergency Ward in D.G Teaching Hospital, University of Health Science project Lahore were the exemplary steps taken by the PTI government to provide best healthcare to the people.
The Minister said the previous government of PML-N did nothing to provide healthcare facilities to people as it was not able to pay the premiums of health insurance cards which were issued to people of only four to five districts, adding the present Punjab government under the leadership of Sardar Usman Buzdar had distributed health cards with each values at 725,000 rupees among more than 5300,000 families in Punjab. He said the lower middle class citizens through health cards could get medical treatment from any modern hospital equipped with all facilities, adding that health cards would be distributed among 7200,000 families till end of this year. About 7,000 new beds had been added to the hospitals to cater the need.
Fayaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, would fulfill the promise of a prosperous Punjab and bring about change in the lives of the people with equal economic opportunities.

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