Punjab Updates...

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Raising Awareness About Modern Agriculture Technology Urged

September 22, 2021

Punjab Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi has directed raising awareness about benefits of using modern technology and certified seeds for increasing wheat yield, a statement said.

Chairing a meeting held to review the strategy for the next wheat crop, he directed arranging farmer gatherings at divisional and district levels.

The minister directed ensuring provision of quality agricultural inputs to the farmers at the time of wheat sowing.

He also asked the relevant officials to hold a meeting with their counterparts in the Irrigation Department for devising a strategy to ensure availability of canal water to the farmers at the time of sowing.


Provincial Agriculture secretary Asad Rehman Gillani, Agriculture secretary South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel, Agriculture (Extension) director general Dr Anjum Ali, Agriculture Pest Warning director general Dr Muhammad Aslam, Agricultural Information director Muhammad Rafiq Akhtar, Crop Reporting director Abdul Qayyum and other senior officers attended the meeting.

 

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Under Construction Dadhocha Dam Rawalpindi.

Dadhocha Dam is being built by FWO to supply 35 million gallons (35 MGD) of water to Rawalpindi daily.

 

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The government is transforming Punjab into a hub of investment, trade and economic activities, said provincial Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal.

Speaking at the 35th Annual General Meeting of Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA), the minister said that due to a favourable business environment, local and foreign investors were investing in Punjab. The government has set up 23 small industrial estates in Punjab within a span of three years, he said, adding that 13 Special Economic Zones were also being established in the province.

“Growing investment in the country is an expression of confidence in the prime minister’s economic policies,” he said.

Terming the new industrial zones a positive sign for the development, the minister assured businessmen that the Punjab Board of Investment would facilitate investors and promote investment.

“Under the prime minister’s vision, the Punjab government is committed to facilitating the industrialists and investors for improving economic activities and increasing employment opportunities,” he said.

“Government believes that economic revolution can only be possible through trade promotion and all possible support is being extended to the export sector to achieve optimum growth,” the minister added. He termed the textile industry the backbone of economy and promised measures to uplift the sector.

 

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Punjab Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar's arrival at Metro Bus Depot: Chief Minister handed over new metro buses to Punjab Mass Transit Authority for Lahore Metro Bus Service
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar inspected new buses and praised the facilities provided in modern buses.

 

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CM Buzdar reviews progress on setting up of 15 new universities

New universities will be established mainly in backward areas of Punjab

https://nation.com.pk/Reporter/our-staff-report
OUR STAFF REPORT
October 04, 2021


LAHORE - A high-level meeting was held yesterday with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair which reviewed the matters related to the Higher Education Department.
The chief minister was briefed about the progress on setting up of 15 new universities in the province. During the meeting, the public-private partnership and joint venture in establishing new universities in Punjab were also discussed. The meeting also decided to introduce the concept of Smart University in the province besides giving principle approval to make further recruitment of College Teacher Interns (CTIs) across the province.

Usman Buzdar directed to complete the process for filling up the vacant posts of college principals as soon as possible and said that merit should be ensured in the appointment of controllers and secretaries of education boards. He said that a university in every district would provide better opportunities for higher education to the students especially the female students, adding that establishment of Indus University in Rajanpur would fulfil the longstanding demand of the people of the area.

“Universities will also be established in Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bhakkar, Hafizabad,
Bahawalnagar, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Attock, Gujranwala and other districts. University of Taunsa and Women University in DG Khan will remove the sense of deprivation among the people of the area,” he stated.

The chief minister was further informed that 197 higher education projects would be completed with Rs15 billion across the province. Moreover, the process of transfer of land for 21 new colleges out of 88 has been completed.

Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun, Principal Secretary to CM, Chairman P&D, Secretary Higher Education and other officers concerned attended the meeting.

 

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Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar directing to accelerate the pace of work on ongoing development projects has said that completion of more than 15,500 projects in three years is commendable.

The chief minister on Monday chaired a meeting at P&D Board to review progress on ADP 2021-22. Chairman P&D briefed that Rs. 241 billion have been released under ADP.

Usman Buzdar said 3975 development schemes will be completed in the current financial year and approval of 95 percent of development projects has been given, he added and directed timely completion of development schemes.

Similarly, timely utilization of released funds should be ensured by accelerating the pace of work, he said. The secretaries should regularly review the pace of progress while the concerned officials should conduct the on-ground inspection, he added.

The CM emphasized that no compromise will be made on quality and transparency adding that good performers will be supported by the government while poor performers will have to be answerable for their slackness. The fruits of ADP valuing 560 billion should be devolved to the people as 35 percent ring-fenced funds have been allocated for south Punjab. Meanwhile, the draft of the Punjab monitoring and evaluation policy will be approved by the cabinet, he added.

 

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The Supreme Court was informed that Rs1,173 million has been provided by the Punjab government for acquisition of additional land for Dadhocha Dam.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, on Friday, heard the contempt of court petition against buying and selling of plots of Dadhocha Dam land.

The Court, in the last hearing, had directed the Punjab advocate general to file a comprehensive report about the construction of the dam and about its land.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) Punjab filed the report regarding acquiring additional land.

According to the report, due to various factors, including buying and selling of dam land and the litigation, the dam construction could not be started.

The report said any sort of construction at the site of the dam has been banned and the owners of the lands around the dam site were issued notices.

Petitioner Col (retired) Muhammad Tariq Kamal had informed the bench that though the construction of the dam is going, the Bahria Town and the DHA authorities are selling the dam's land.

Justice Sajjad directed the AAG to supply a copy of the report to the petitioner, adjourned the hearing for two weeks.

In 2019, the Punjab government had told the Supreme Court that it will complete the construction of the dam in 2021.

The government has allocated Rs2.8 billion to purchase the land for the dam.

The dam was proposed in 2001.

The dam project also concerns the 35 million gallons per day (MGD) water reservoir of the dam, for supplying water to the garrison city, since the older reservoir of Rawal Dam has completed its life span of 50 years.

The feasibility study for Dadhocha dam was approved during 2013-14, after which the irrigation department had hired consultants to move ahead with the project. In 2002, a pre-feasibility study of site No 1 was carried out by the Small Dams Organisation, which remained under active consideration for construction of the dam, the study stated, adding to secure the area required for the proposed project, a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 was also issued on November 3, 2010.

The area falls in the jurisdiction of three Tehsils of Rawalpindi district namely, Rawalpindi, Kahuta, and Kallar Syedan.

The two new water reservoirs over Ling River and Soan River were planned after realising the population explosion, for which the location of Dadhocha Dam over Ling River was technically evaluated and subsequently, recommended by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), the petitioner said.

In August 2015, the Punjab government had declared the present site for the dam as technically and economically more feasible.

The consultant had suggested that a very narrow gorge and a natural bowl-shaped reservoir was present at the site, which was ideal for construction of the dam.

It was mentioned in the study that site No2 will have a storage capacity of 24,259 acres with 25 million gallons a day of water being supplied to the city.

The hydrology at the site is rated suitable for sustainable water supply.

 

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Under Construction 600 Bed Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Buzdar SFMKB Institute of Cardiology in Dera Ghazi Khan.

 

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Prime Minister Imran Khan and CM Punjab Usman Buzdar to lay foundation stone of Mother and Children Hospital Attock on 15th October 2021.

With special efforts of Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari, a big gift like a child hospital for the people of Attock.

Mother and Child Hospital, built at a cost of Rs billion, is a big project for the people of Attock district. For the first time in the history of Attock, a hospital is going to be built with modern facilities.

The Mother & Child Hospital Attock will comprise a bed strength of 200 beds with a total plot area for hospital building & nursing college is 75 Kanals approximately.

The hospital will ensure the availability of qualified teams of physicians, technicians, nurses and administrative staff who are well skilled to offer best of their services to expecting mothers.
It comprises of the following blocks:

- Gynae & Obstetrics Block
- Gynae Emergency
- Labor Room
- Antenatal Ward
- Postnatal Ward
- HDU
- ICU
- Gynae Ward
- Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)
- Indoor/Day Care Room/Anemia Treatment - Room
- Pead’s Ward
- Emergency (Paeds & Neonatal)
- Paeds Idoor
- Nursery/Neonatology
- Paeds ICU
- Neonatal HDU/ICU

This project will also provide other allied facilities such as housing and accommodation for its staff which would accommodate a total of 320 staff members.

 

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Pindi's Viqarun Nisa College granted university status

Aamir Yasin
October 16, 2021

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafique and provincial minister Rashid Hafeez pray after unveiling the plaque of Viqarun Nisa Women University on Friday. — White Star

• CM approves Ring Road, Leh Expressway projects
• Says 29,142 Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen scholarships to be awarded this year
• Sheikh Rashid claims work on Mother and Child Hospital to be completed soon

RAWALPINDI: The garrison city on Friday got a third varsity for women after Government Viqarun Nisa Postgraduate College was upgraded to a university.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar announced the decision while speaking at a ceremony held at Viqarun Nisa college on Friday.

He also gave approval to the Rawalpindi Ring Road and Leh Nullah Expressway projects.

Extending his felicitations to Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and other parliamentarians, the chief minister announced that Rs1 billion would initially be provided to Viqarun Nisa University and four faculties established in the first phase.

Mr Buzdar said work was under progress on 371 projects worth Rs132 billion in Rawalpindi city.
“The Ring Road and Leh Nullah Expressway projects will prove to be game-changers and benefit the locals, he said, adding that Rawalpindi would be developed as a model city.

He said the residents of the garrison city had always reposed their trust on Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Ample higher education opportunities are available for female students in Rawalpindi as the division has 60 girls colleges alone,” the chief minister said, adding that women education was a top priority of the government.
Mr Buzdar said health budget had been raised by 124 per cent while an increase of 286pc and 29pc was made in higher education and school education budgets, respectively.

Meanwhile, he said 21 universities had been approved for Punjab, out of which six have already been established and work on nine others was underway.

“Four universities are already present in Rawalpindi district while steps are being taken to establish a university in Attock as well,” he added.

The chief minister said outstanding students in need of financial help had been given 10,574 Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen scholarships worth Rs273.8 million while 677 Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) scholarships would also be provided, adding that 29,142 Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen scholarships worth Rs1 billion would be awarded this year.

Mr Buzdar said ‘Seerat Chairs’ had been set up in IUB, Ghazi University D.G. Khan, Okara University, GCU Faisalabad, University of Chakwal and Bahauddin Zakariya University to assist with research.

“An effort has been made to ensure the participation of people from all walks of life in Ashra Shan-i-Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said it was a big day as he had managed to establish a third women university in Rawalpindi. He said in the British period,

‘Dhokes’ were set up to get labour but we provided higher education facilities to all people in Rawalpindi’s ‘Dhokes’.

He said 5,000 girls were getting education in Dhoke Hassu alone, adding that he had managed to set up a girls college in the cantonment areas for the first time. He said he had established 79 colleges in Rawalpindi after nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan asked him to work for education.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed also announced that work on Mother and Child Hospital would be completed soon.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Buzdar chaired a meeting at the Punjab House, Islamabad, to review projects relating to repair and maintenance of road infrastructure in Punjab.

National Highway Authority (NHA) chairman, P&D chairman, C&W secretary and others attended the meeting.

A report about highway maintenance was presented before the participants and progress on the 415km long Balkasar-Mianwali-Muzaffargarh road project was reviewed.

The chief minister was briefed about the repair and expansion of the 129km long Balkasar-Mianwali patch and the 286km long Mianwali-Muzaffargarh portion.

Mr Buzdar expressed his satisfaction that roads and highways were being improved and upgraded in the province and hoped the projects would ease the movement of commuters.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2021

 

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PC-I to acquire land for Leh Expressway sent to CDWP

Aamir Yasin
October 17, 2021

This picture shows the area for the Leh Expressway. — Screengrab courtesy: Punjab govt Twitter


• Project’s groundbreaking fixed for December end
• Expressway to start from Kattarian Bridge instead of Kashmir Highway as earlier planned

RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has forwarded the PC-I to acquire land for the Leh Expressway and Flood Channel project worth Rs25 billion to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for final approval.

The Punjab Planning and Development Board has already approved the project and work on land acquisition will start after the PC-I gets clearance from the CDWP.

A senior official of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) told Dawn that PC-I for construction of the expressway and its detailed design would be completed by Oct 22 after which it would be sent to the Planning and Development Board for approval.

After sending the PC-I for land acquisition to the CDWP, the provincial government directed that formalities for acquiring land be completed.

“In the absence of a land controller, the deputy commissioner will assign the assistant commissioner revenue with the task to acquire land,” the official said, adding that the government was interested in launching the project as soon as possible.

“The project’s groundbreaking is fixed for December end but there are still so many things to do,” the official added.

“An environmental assessment report has not yet been prepared which is necessary before any development project is launched,” he said, adding that the process would be completed within a month.

The official said public reservations about the project would be entertained, especially from those living along Leh Nullah, adding that the expressway would start from Kattarian Bridge instead of the earlier plan of constructing it from Kashmir Highway to Soan Bridge near the Lahore High Court.

He said the government wanted to construct the expressway on the basis of public-private partnership (PPP) and the RDA would also send the project to the PPP Authority for approval.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah said the chief minister had approved two mega projects for Rawalpindi - Leh Nullah Expressway and Ring Road - which would be executed by the RDA.


Speaking at a meeting, the commissioner said work on the projects would be expedited so that the residents get better facilities as soon as possible.

He asked the departments concerned to resolve all issues and remove bottlenecks and obstacles being faced during the designing and implementation of the projects, adding that a project management unit would also be established soon to start work on the urban regeneration project along Leh Nullah.

All development works should be implemented on a fast-track basis, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2021

 

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The government of Punjab has floated a tender for a 123km long tourism expressway, with the project expected to cost more than Rs4 billion and attain completion within 30 months.

The expressway will stretch from Pindori Chowk in Kalar Syedan, enabling travelers to journey all the way to Lower Topa in Murree.

Upon completion, the road is set to be touted as the new ‘tourism corridor’ between Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Galiyat. Five major roads from Azad Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, GB, and other cities will be connected to the expressway. The work order for the project is slated to be issued in the first week of November.

MNA Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, who proposed the project, told that the construction of the tourism expressway will create new employment opportunities in four mountainous tehsils of the Rawalpindi district..

 

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The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party approved ten development schemes of various sectors with an estimated cost of Rs. 19,204.566 million.

The approved development schemes included

Construction of Byepass from Dhounkal More to Sohdra Wazirabad, Length 8.10 Km, Wazirabad
District Gujranwala at the cost of Rs. 1,165.460 million,

Dualization of road from Amra to Sahana Lok, Length 10.25 Km, (Phase-I: Approx. Length 6.00 Km), (Phase-II: Length 4.25 Km), District Mandi Bahauddin at the cost of Rs. 1,124.779 million,

Widening & Improvement of Sahiwal to Shahpur Length 34.43 Km, District Sargodha at the cost of Rs. 1,208.975 million and

Rehabilitation/ Improvement of metaled road from Dera Ismail Khan to Darya Khan, Length 15.00 Km, Tehsil Darya Khan, District Bhakkar at the cost of Rs. 749.987 million.

Establishment of Centre for College Faculty Development (CCFD) at the cost of Rs. 543.987 million,

Establishment of University of Hafizabad at the cost of Rs. 1,000.000 million,

Construction of Building of Engineering College of University of Sargodha at the cost of Rs. 1,094.902 million,

Upgradation of Emerson College Multan to University at the cost of Rs. 500.000 million,

Livelihood Improvement & Green Job Creation through Ecosystem Restoration in Selected Districts of Punjab at the cost of Rs. 2,000.000 million,

Umbrella PC-I Provision of Land Acquisition / Compensation of Structure and PST Pertaining to PSDP Funded Schemes at the cost of Rs. 9,816.476 million

 

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Under Construction Academic Blocks at University of Mianwali.

 

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Process to acquire land for Rawalpindi Ring Road begins

Aamir Yasin
November 7, 2021


RAWALPINDI: The district administration on Saturday started the process to fix prices of land to be acquired for the Rawalpindi Ring Road Project from Banth to Thalian.

The price assessment committee is headed by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ali and comprises the additional commissioner revenue, assistant commissioners Saddar and Gujar Khan, the district attorney, director land and estate management of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), executive officer building, district accounts officer, deputy director local fund audit, excise and taxation officer, sub-registrar rural, assistant director land record and a representative of the commissioner.