BAHAWALPUR: Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar on Wednesday said that Prime Minister, Imran Khan would soon visit Bahawalpur to lay down foundation stone of South Punjab Secretariat here, adding that Bahawalpur would play central role in the new province.
He was addressing a crowded news conference at Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industries here. He said: “Prime Minister Imran Khan had made promise with people of South Punjab that they would get a separate province for them,” adding that the Premier would be visiting Bahawalpur soon to lay down foundation stone of Secretariat of the proposed South Punjab province.
He said that in past, Bahawalpur City remained capital of then princely state of Bahawalpur and added that Bahawalpur would also play a central role in new South Punjab province. He said that Premier Khan would also announce several development projects for South Punjab during his visit to Bahawalpur. “Under a transition plan for South Punjab province, huge development funds were being allocated and released for South Punjab. “It is first time that a separate book of development budget was published for South Punjab,” he said. “The office of the Additional Chief Secretary for South Punjab has already been functional here,” he said.
He said that credit went to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government which had put the national economy back on track. “Now exports and industrial manufacturing have been increased to record level,” he said. “Pakistan Peoples Party has been confined to Sindh province and Pakistan Muslim League to GT Road,” he added.
He said that Bahawalpur would get a separate electricity company besides separate electricity generation system soon. He said that the government had urged banks to give more loans to people of South Punjab to trigger industrial and business activities in the region. He said that the government had introduced tax relaxation policies for industrialists and traders to boost business activities.
Minister Finance Punjab Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht said that the Punjab government was going to provide transport facilities to Bahawalpur soon. “The Punjab government wants to make Bahawalpur a most modern division of the province,” he said adding that efforts were underway to introduce one window operation in agriculture, livestock and industries in South Punjab.
Commissioner Bahawalpur Division, Capt. (retd) Zafar Iqbal said that it was vision of the government to bring record development in Bahawalpur. He requested the federal and the provincial government to provide more funds for Bahawalpur Industrial State and Special Economic Zone. MNA, Malik Farooq Azam and MPA, Samiullah Chaudhary were also present.
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