LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has reviewed amount proposed in the upcoming budget for of development programmes.
He reviewed the budget, while presiding over a high-level meeting to discuss the new budget and the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for financial year 2015-16. Provincial Minister for Finance Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Advisor Dr Ijaz Nabi, Member Provincial Assembly Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning & Development, Senior Member Board of Revenue, concerned secretaries and senior officers were also present in the meeting.
The Chief Minister directed that special attention should be paid to the progress and prosperity of the masses and achievement of targets of strengthening of economy under ADP.
Shahbaz said that all departments and institutions should ensure utilisation of the development funds within the stipulated period while development projects under ADP should be completed within timeframe. He said that Pakistan Muslim League-N government believes in a balanced development and billions of rupees are being spent on development of rural areas.
He said that completion of these projects will raise the living standard of rural masses and modern facilities will also become available to them. He said that under Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme, a splendid project worth billions of rupees of construction and rehabilitation of rural roads is running successfully. He said that a huge amount of Rs15 billion is being spent on this project during current fiscal year and all rural roads of the province will be completed at a cost of more than Rs150 billion by 2018. He said that this project is of vital importance and it is the first and the biggest project of its kind in the history of the country.
He said that Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme is a revolutionary project for the development of rural economy and he is personally monitoring this project. Shahbaz Sharif said that more resources should be allocated in the development budget of new fiscal year for the uplift and prosperity of rural areas. He said that funds are a trust of the masses and transparency in the execution of the projects and their timely completion is of vital importance.
