She reached LDA Avenue-1 on Tuesday to launch the project and inaugurated the LDA Avenue-1 Central Park       Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz attends a PML-N meeting.. — Facebook/Maryam Nawaz Sharif

LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has launched a pilot project to make Lahore the best eco-friendly residential city.

She reached LDA Avenue-1 on Tuesday to launch the project and inaugurated the LDA Avenue-1 Central Park covering an area of 87 kanals and planted a sapling there. LDA DG Tahir Farooq briefed the chief minister about the Central Park Project, the upgraded LDA Enforcement Squad and related issues.

Nawaz Sharif IT City: “We are trying to establish a natural business cluster in every city of Punjab,” said Maryam Nawaz in an informal meeting with a delegation of businessmen. She added: “All facilities and concessions will be given for the establishment of the Pharma Industrial Zone in Lahore. We are establishing the first international level fish market in Lahore.” She agreed to consult businessmen and industrialists in the policy making process for the promotion of business activities in the province.

Earlier, the industrialists expressed concerns and gave proposals to resolve them. They said: “The law and order situation in Lahore from Rohi Nala to Kasur is bad, attention should be paid to its improvement. Incidents of encroachment and firing on the Hall Road should be addressed.”

Maryam took immediate action on some of the proposals and directed the authorities for implementation. She directed changing boards of all industrial establishments including the PIEDMC and the FIEDMC by engaging excellent professionals. The businessmen acknowledged that Maryam was taking innovative steps.

Zeba Shujaur Rahman, Henna Mansab Khan, Misbahur Rahman, Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Anjum Nisar, Khawaja Shahzeb, Waseem Sarwar, Zafar Mehmood and Tahir Manzoor were among those who met the CM. Babar Mehmood, Nadeem Qureshi, Khalid Musaab, Adnan Khalid Butt, Faheem Sehgal, Abu Zar Shad, Asad Shujaur Rahman, Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh and Shahbaz Aslam were also present.

Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Project: Maryam Nawaz chaired a meeting of the Housing Department to have a briefing on the “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar (own roof own house) Project. Secretary Housing Asadullah Khan apprised her about the progress made so far on the project. Senator Pervez Rashid, the chief secretary and the principal secretary to chief minister attended the meeting.

Notice of rape: “The accused who brutalized an innocent girl should be severely punished,” said Maryam while taking notice of the alleged rape of a six-year-old girl in Faisalabad. She added, “The punishment in a rape case will be increased soon.” She sought a report from the inspector general of police in the matter. Meanwhile, in response to the CM’s notice, police have arrested the accused.

4th meeting of SCCFD: “Don’t increase water charges for hydropower projects,” the CM directed the authorities concerned while chairing the fourth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Finance and Development (SCCFD). She said: “Though increasing water charges will increase revenue, it may increase the price of electricity, so I will not approve it.”

She was briefed that Punjab had 19.85 million residential units and 2 million commercial units. It was decided in the meeting to impose sanitation charges of Rs300 on a up to 5-marla house and Rs500 on a 10-marla house. However, in rural areas, Rs200 will be imposed on a up to 10-marla house and Rs500 on a house larger than 10 marlas.

The SCCFD approved release of PSDP 2023-24 funds out of Rs685 million block allocation for the construction of two roads, including a 123-km road from Lower Topa Murree via Chowk Pandori to Kotli Sattian and a 47-km road from Saalam to Sargodha via Bhalwal Ajnala. Approval of funds for the Green Pakistan Programme was also granted by the SCCFD, besides approving an allowance for the Accounts Group members of the Punjab Revenue Authority Appellate Tribunal. The SCCFD approved Rs 20 million funds for materializing the chief minister’s promise of sending for Hajj 10 women living in old age homes.

The chief minister said: “I will personally see off the women going for Hajj. The SCCFD approved including the Sports Complex Gaushala Lahore Project in the Annual Development Plan 2023-24, besides the inclusion of PC-II as a supplementary project for the Feasibility and Design Consultancy Services of Thalian to Sangjani Rawalpindi Ring Road Phase-II. Approval was also given to transfer 400 water filtration plants to solar energy in Lahore and Faisalabad. Installation of solar systems for the filtration plants along with their operations and management for 10 years was approved in the meeting.

It was briefed in the meeting that since 2019, 5.4 lakh transactions have been made through ePay Punjab. The meeting was briefed that an access road would be constructed from Ferozepur Road to Garments City at a cost of Rs306 million.