Improving health, education govt’s priority: Amer

* Says Rs 51b allocated for Lahore development
* Government to give plots to low-income families

LAHORE: Lahore District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood on Sunday said the city district government would spend Rs 51 billion on developing the provincial metropolis during the next 20 years.

Talking to public representatives, he said the district government had identified various development projects in education, health, housing, water supply, sanitation, solid waste management and transportation. “The government would provide Rs 33 billion for the development work and the remaining amount would come from the private sector,” he added. He said Ravi Bridge, Ravi Road and Ravi Link Road would be rebuilt at a cost of Rs 644 million under a five-year development plan. He said industries causing pollution would be moved out of the city and transferred to a new industrial area.

Mr Mahmood said a 17 kilmoetre water channel from Ravi Siphon would be built to solve the water shortage problem and six new water treatment plants would be also be set up. The nazim said the district government aimed to open 277 primary schools at a cost of Rs 1.38 billion, 55 high schools at a cost of Rs 1,045 million and 15 new colleges at an estimated cost of Rs 840 million. He said Rs 763 million had been earmarked for 44 primary health centers, five polyclinics and three general hospitals. He said the master plan aimed to improve health and education facilities.

The nazim said that although the development work targeted an area between Ferozpur Road and Multan Road over the last two decades, there were still 35,000 empty plots in that area. He said the city would have a new look with the construction of the 77 kilometre Ring Road.

Mr Mahmood said the district would government would allocate three and five marla plots for low-income families and the building of houses on such plots would be exempt from various taxes.

He said a number of multi-storey plazas had been built in the city because of a reduction in commercial charges, speedy approval for the building plan and uniform laws for the whole city. He said construction firms from Karachi were also showing interest in expanding their businesses to Lahore.

Mr Mahmood said that the population of the city was increasing at a rate of 200,000 individuals a year. “The district government is providing maximum incentives for private developers,” he said.—Staff Report

Home | National