Despite severe cold and fog, Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi is showing no sign of tiredness as he, accompanied by provincial ministers, visited the sites of six projects in Lahore last night in only six hours. The CM went to see the work underway at the sites of Shahdara flyover project, Imamia Colony flyover project, Controlled Access Corridor Bund Road project, Mayo Hospital upgradation project and Bibi Pak Daman’s renovation and expansion project. He also went to Qurban Lines to review progress on the construction of apartments for the police personnel. Later talking to the media at the site of Bund Road project, the chief minister said that the construction and repair of roads around Shahdara Chowk was 100 percent complete. He, along with his cabinet members, viewed the beautification work underway in and around the chowk and the Shahdara flyover. He was pleased to find that the construction of the flyover was complete, and applauded the masons and contractors for working round the clock.  He informed that the Bund Road project needed two years for its completion, and that it was difficult to complete it only in 120 days.

“However, teams of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Planning & Development and other departments are working 24/7 to complete it at the earliest,” he added. He informed that on his instructions, Provincial Minister Azfar Ali Nasir had moved to a container at the site of the project so that he could keep an eye on the work.  “Similarly, another Provincial Minister Bilal Afzal is monitoring the progress on the Gujranwala Expressway and SL-III,” he said, and expressed the hope that construction of the expressway would be completed before the deadline. Similarly, he went on to say, work on the repair and construction of 60 to 70 roads was already complete, and hopefully work on other roads would soon be completed. He told newsmen that the Sahiwal Bridge had been built, while work was underway on Abdullah Pur Bridge in Faisalabad and Shujaabad Bridge. “Upgradation of the Lahore Zoo and Safari Zoo will soon be completed,” he said, adding, “The Punjab government has made an effort to complete development schemes at the earliest, without creating any inconvenience for the people.” 

Not only that, the CM added, he had assigned every minister in his cabinet the duty to monitor work on the upgradation of hospitals. “The upgradation of 100 hospitals will be completed by January 31,” the chief minister said.” By the grace of The Almighty Allah, the chief minister said, these projects are less costly, and the government had managed to save a lot of money. He prayed to The Almighty Allah to give the next government the determination to serve the masses and provide them maximum relief. He said not only model police stations would be built in Lahore but also in other cities of Punjab. He said that the Imamia Colony flyover project would be inaugurated at the end of January. The CM said that the shrine of Bibi Pak Daman would be opened for devotees in the next few days. The CM said he had a lot of respect for the former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, and he was no match for the ‘Shehbaz Speed’. “Shehbaz remained the province’s chief minister for 10 years. He is ahead of me in terms of the number of projects he launched and the speed at which these were completed,” he concluded. CM Naqvi visits Mayo Hospital The chief minister also visited Mayo Hospital’s Emergency Ward and reviewed progress on its upgradation. He went to the ground, first and second floors of the building and checked the quality of tiles. He also visited the hospital’s operation theaters.

The secretary construction and communication briefed the CM and members of his team on the project. The chief minister made it clear to the contractor that there would be no compromise on the quality of the work, adding, “The upgraded portion of the Mayo Hospital would be opened for patients within seven days. CM visit Qurban Lines CM Naqvi also visited Qurban Lines and inspected the construction of apartments for the police personnel there. He expressed the hope that the construction of these apartments would be completed in a few days. He went round different portions of the apartments such as rooms, washrooms and kitchens. The chief minister also checked the quality of material being used in the construction of building. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar and the secretary construction and communication, on the occasion, briefed him about the project. It was told that 24 apartments would be built in a six-storey building. Later, the CM also chaired a high-level meeting inside the Punjab Safe City Authority building at which the installation of cameras in 18 Punjab cities, including Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, came under discussion.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)