Agreement signed to make 43 KM long Sheikhupura-Gujranwala Road

Lahore : An agreement was signed today under Public-Private Partnership between Communication and Works Department, Punjab Government and Shajar Roads Limited for making Sheikhupura-Gujranwala Road, a double road.

Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest of signing ceremony held in Model Town.

According to the agreement, Sheikhupura-Gujranwala Road will be made two ways within the time period of one year. Addressing the function, Shahbaz Sharif said that this agreement has been made on BOT basis under Public Private Partnership and it will cost 5.75 billion rupees on a 43 km long road.

He said that public-private partnership model is being adopted for providing better facilities to the people and promoting investment undoubtedly this model has been appreciated the world over. Policy of using the resources allocated in budget for other important projects has been adopted, he added.

He said that private sector earns profit under this partnership and public gets facilities that is why Punjab Government is promoting it and the work of Sheikhupura-Gujranwala dual road is also being carried out under this model.

The Chief Minister said that it is a profitable project which will be operated on the model of BOT. Although date for completion of this project is fixed June 30, 2018 but he has directed the concerned departments to complete it by April 30 or the start of May 2018, he added.

He said that Punjab government has initiated the mega project of construction of rural roads for the first time in the history of Pakistan and 67 billion rupees had already been spent in this regard.

He said that construction of asphalt roads has improved the infrastructure of rural areas and brought prosperity over there. Likewise, the nature of this progressive venture is praiseworthy and during current fiscal year, 17 billion rupees have been allocated for the construction of rural roads also special arrangements have been made for the maintenance of these roads, he added.

Shahbaz Sharif said that the creator of Rural Road Construction Program was Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif who during his tenure as Chief Minister in 1985 has started work on this project.

Responding a query of media, the Chief Minister said that 4.5 billion rupees have been earmarked in current fiscal year’s for the construction of Muzaffargarh-Dera Ghazi Khan Road and its work will be started as well as completed during the current year. Likewise, project of dual road from Khanewal to Lodhran has been initiated and this project will be completed at a cost of Rs. 22 billion by this year.

In response to another question, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Punjab government is working on model of outsourcing of the hospitals for delivering best medical facilities to the people.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital Muzaffargarh has been outsourced, in same way Shehbaz Sharif Hospital at Badian Road has also been outsourced and both of these institutions are being run by Indus Trust while Kidney Centre Multan has also been handed over to Indus Trust.

He said that project of Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute Lahore is underway and a state of the art Hepatitis Filter Clinic is providing healthcare facilities to the masses over there and this project is also being pushed ahead on the model of outsource.

He said that provision of best health and medical facilities to people is our top most priority and we are working on it following the said model.

 

He said those leveling allegations that there are no burn units in Punjab should first peep into their conscience and avoid leveling baseless allegations. They do not have even a single burn unit in their own province whereas all the big cities of Punjab are equipped with latest burn units where best arrangements of treatment have been made for the patients, he added.

 

Federal Minister Rana Tanvir Hussain, Provincial Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran, Tanvir Aslam Malik, Members National and Provincial Assembly, Chief Secretary, concerned officers and senior officials were present on the occasion.