Lahore News

CM slams former govt’s ‘paperwork development’ Monday, July 21, 2008 By Our Correspondent LAHORE PUNJAB Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the PML-N government is focusing on welfare of the masses and revolutionary programmes are being introduced to improve the living standards of the people. He expressed these views on Sunday while talking to PML-N office-bearers and party workers at Model Town. MNAs, MPAs and government officers were also present on the occasion. The CM announced the establishment of a college for girls and a hospital at Green Town and said that the government would allocate huge funds for development in the constituency PP-154. “The Food Stamp Scheme, being launched at a cost of Rs 22 billion, will be the biggest plan in the history to help the people living under the poverty line,” he said, adding that the scheme would serve only the needy, including widows and unemployed people, and it would be ensured that only the deserving people got benefited from the scheme. He said the DCOs would scrutinise the lists of the applicants for the scheme and they, along with the elected representatives, would be responsible for transparency. “Wrong policies of the rulers during the last eight years ruined the country and the elite class plundered the national exchequer, usurping the people’s rights,” he said, adding that all national institutions had been damaged. He expressed determination to rectify the system with the cooperation of the people. Shahbaz said the police authorities were helping the criminals in the recent past but the present government would not tolerate such attitude and no one would be humiliated in the police stations. He said the injustice would be eliminated because if a government did not provide justice, it had no right to remain in power. “In the past, the rulers did only the paperwork while staying in air-conditioned rooms and but we will go at the doorsteps of the poor to relieve them,” he said, adding that he himself was visiting the far-flung areas of the province to resolve the public problems. While referring to his recent tours of Rahimyar Khan, Sadiqabad, Liaqatpur and Khanpur, the chief minister said the people were living in miserable conditions and there was no one to listen to their complaints, saying that the PML-N government would provide them the facilities of health, education, employment and justice. He said it was more difficult for the people of rural areas to raise their voice to get their issues resolved. Meanwhile, the CM was given a briefing on the decisions he had issued during the last Sunday’s meeting with the PML-N workers. He was informed that the 120-kanal-land had been acquired in PP-153, on which Shahbaz directed the authorities concerned to allocate that out of the total area of the land, 100 kanals should be allocated for a graveyard and 20 kanal for playground. He directed the authorities to start rapid development work in the constituency. The PML-N office-bearers and party workers of PP-154 also apprised the CM of their problems. On this, he issued instructions to the departments concerned. During the meeting Shahbaz lauded the role of media, adding that it should support efforts of the PML-N in making situation better in the province.