Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has prepared the second draft of recommendations for the next fiscal year’s budget, under which the total size of the provincial budget is expected to be around Rs 6 trillion.
According to government sources, the total development budget for Punjab in the next fiscal year is proposed at Rs 1.45 trillion. The proposed budget gives special importance to development initiatives, including transport, local government development, clean water, road rehabilitation, police infrastructure and improvement projects in rural areas.
Sources said the transport sector has been given top priority in the development budget, with major projects worth Rs 303 billion proposed for the sector. The government aims to provide better travel facilities to citizens, reduce traffic pressure and modernise the transport system in major cities.
According to the proposed budget draft, Rs980 billion is under consideration for the Annual Development Programme. Under this programme, work will be carried out in different districts to provide basic facilities, improve infrastructure and implement public welfare projects.
The budget recommendations also include the construction of new smart police stations in Okara, Rawalpindi, Kasur, Multan, Gujranwala and Pakpattan. These projects are aimed at modernising the policing system, improving public facilitation and strengthening the administrative structure of police stations through technology.
Sources said development works in Lahore, clean water schemes, the model village programme and other major projects will also be part of the upcoming budget. A proposal has been made to allocate Rs 30 billion for the model village project, while Rs42 billion has been recommended for the road rehabilitation programme.
For the next fiscal year, the proposed budget for the local government sector has been set at Rs 250 billion, while Rs 156 billion has been proposed for local government development. The funds will be used to improve local level development works, basic civic facilities, drainage, sanitation, roads and other municipal projects.
Government sources said the budget draft prioritises public facilities, infrastructure improvement and local development. The final budget recommendations will become part of the provincial budget for the next fiscal year after approval.

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
On the instructions of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq, the Town Planning Wing of the Lahore Development Authority carried out a major operation in the LDA controlled area against illegal commercial buildings and properties defaulting on commercial fees, sealing 170 properties.
LDA teams conducted operations in different areas, including Gulberg, Faisal Town, Gulshan Ravi, GT Road, PCSIR Scheme College Road, Allama Iqbal Town and Sabzazar. The operation was carried out over illegal commercial use, non payment of commercial fees and violation of rules and regulations.
According to the LDA, 25 properties were sealed in Gulberg and Faisal Town over illegal commercial use and non payment of commercial fees. Similarly, 35 properties were sealed during action in Gulshan Ravi and on GT Road.
On PCSIR Scheme College Road, LDA teams sealed 70 illegal commercial shops. During the recovery operation, 40 properties were also sealed in Allama Iqbal Town and Sabzazar.
The sealed properties include private schools, restaurants, food points, beauty salons, clinics, grocery stores, bakeries, pharmacies, auto workshops, shops, offices and other commercial units.
LDA officials said the operation was carried out under the supervision of Chief Town Planner One Asad uz Zaman and Chief Town Planner Two Azhar Ali. Relevant town planning staff of the LDA also participated in the operation.
LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said indiscriminate actions against illegal commercial buildings and properties defaulting on commercial fees would continue. He said illegal commercial activities would not be allowed in the city and strict action would be taken in accordance with the law against those violating the rules.

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
A decision has been made to remodel model roads in Lahore to improve traffic flow and provide better travel facilities to citizens. In the initial phase, the remodeling process has been started on Main Boulevard to improve traffic flow.
According to Chief Traffic Officer Lahore Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi, 5 of the 11 bus bays on Main Boulevard will be widened so that traffic movement on the main road is not affected when buses stop. He said that currently, buses stopping on the main road create hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic, but the expansion of bus bays will help address this issue.
The CTO Lahore said the rickshaw stand around the Metro Bus stop on Main Boulevard is also being reorganized to manage disorderly traffic. The new rickshaw stand will have space for 12 rickshaws at a time, while rickshaws will be dispatched every five minutes to facilitate passengers and maintain traffic flow.
Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi said the remodeling plan has entered its final stages with the support of engineers from the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency, TEPA, while practical measures are being taken at different locations to improve traffic movement.
He said an additional 18 feet of road space will be added at Defence Mor to improve traffic flow, while the existing plan at Jain Mandir Chowk is also being reorganized to resolve traffic issues.
The CTO Lahore said that after the remodeling of Main Boulevard is completed, other model roads in the city will also be reorganized according to modern requirements, so that better travel facilities can be provided to citizens and traffic problems can be significantly reduced.