LAHORE (Dunya News) - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has taken a key decision to launch multi-billion rupee development projects across districts under the vision “district revenue, district development,” aimed at strengthening financial autonomy at the local level.
Chairing an important meeting of commissioners, the chief minister reviewed district development plans across Punjab. Commissioners from Sahiwal, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Multan divisions gave detailed briefings on available resources and proposed schemes.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif stressed that there should be no “cosmetic work,” but real ground-level development, directing commissioners to remain active in the field instead of staying confined to air-conditioned offices. She said responsibility must match authority and public relief must be ensured.
She expressed strong anger over the death of a three-year-old girl who fell into an open pit in a private housing society in Faisalabad. The chief minister ordered that if any citizen falls into a manhole, the relevant housing society owners will be arrested. She also directed monthly affidavits from all private housing societies confirming that no open manholes exist, along with issuance of notices to all societies across Punjab.
She further instructed strict monitoring of school buildings, cordoning off all construction sites under SOPs, and ensuring deep cleaning in all tehsils. She remarked that while some officers are performing well, others have only created “cosmetic work” with little visible ground impact.
For Sahiwal division, officials briefed that 4 billion rupees are available under local government funds, while development projects worth 1.12 billion rupees will be launched. Under this, 862 million rupees will be spent on 10 major roads covering 18.8 kilometers, with a target to complete road construction and repair work by September 2026.
Projects include farm-to-market roads, upgradation of Firdous Town Road, Sher Dil Chowk to Samundri Road, Harappa Road, Girls College Road and various roads in Chichawatni. The chief minister directed construction of international-standard roads, mandatory footpaths, removal of encroachments and development of attractive entry points in Sahiwal.
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In Okara, upgradation of Pipli Pahar Road, construction of Gogera to Thatta Saranj Road, installation of solar street lights on Akbar Road and floodlights at Jinnah Stadium were approved. In Pakpattan, five urban, five rural and four beautification schemes were approved, including northern and southern bypass, Malka Hans Road, cricket stadium, sports arena and solar lighting along canals.
For Sargodha division, development projects worth 2.8 billion rupees were approved. These include Shahpur Lak Mor Road, beautification of Bhhera, improvement of Sial Mor motorway entry point, pedestrian bridge on University Road and acceleration of Safe City cameras. She also directed improved access to Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology, development of parks, bus stands and sports facilities, with a deadline of 30 September for completion of all schemes.
Faisalabad division was briefed about 5.3 billion rupees in local resources and 59 schemes, including 81 kilometers of 38 roads. Projects include upgrade of Jhang Road bypass, reconstruction of Dijkot to Tandlianwala Road, improvement of small industrial estate, footpaths on Jaranwala Satiana link road, and modern roads in Toba Tek Singh, Gojra and Chiniot, along with street lighting on Jhang Road.
In Multan division, 28 schemes worth 3 billion rupees will be completed across four districts. These include end-to-end upgradation of roads from Ghanta Ghar to Chungi No 9 and Dera Adda to Aziz Hotel, dualization of Askari Bypass Old Shujabad Road, and improvement of various urban roads.
Other projects include bus stands, municipal offices, road upgrades, sports stadiums, parks, beautification schemes and installation of modern street lights across multiple cities including Kabirwala, Vehari, Burewala, Lodhran, Mailsi, and Khanewal.
The chief minister emphasized that development quality will be uniform across Punjab, stating that commissioners are the eyes, ears and arms of the government. She made it clear that no favoritism or recommendation will be accepted and only merit-based work will be allowed, with no compromise on quality.