World Bank Mission Meets Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Nov, 2016 ) : World Bank Mission met Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, here on Tuesday. Measures regarding urban development and improvement of civic facilities came under discussion during the meeting.

World Bank assured provision of cooperation with regard to steps for improvement of cities of Punjab and their development. Talking to World Bank Mission, the Chief Minister said that Punjab government was implementing a balanced policy for the development of urban and rural areas.

He said that work was being carried out speedily on the development of different sectors at a cost of billions of rupees for improving facilities in cities and cooperation of World Bank for improvement of facilities in small and big cities as well as urban development would be welcomed.

He said that provision of best services to the citizens was their top priority and the Punjab government had evolved a coordinated programme in this regard. He said that work was continuing on different projects of health, education, transport and infrastructure and completion of these projects would result in further improvement of services to the citizens.

Shehbaz Sharif said that a solid strategy was being implemented for providing better transport facility to the people and unprecedented steps had been taken in this regard. He said that after successful metro bus service in Lahore and Rawalpindi-Islamabad, its scope was being expanded.

Metro bus project was near completion in Multan, a big district of south Punjab, he added. He said that comfortable, economical and speedy transport facilities had been made available to the citizens through metro bus service.

He said that first metro rail project of Pakistan was being executed in Lahore and that project was a revolutionary step towards provision of international standard transport facilities to the citizens.

The Chief Minister said that first phase of Safe City Project for safeguarding life and property of citizens had been completed in Lahore and the project would help eradicate crimes from the province.

He said that the Punjab government had decided to launch Punjab Safe City Project in six big cities of the province. He said that a mega project had also been evolved for providing potable water to the people under which provision of clean drinking water would be ensured to the masses.

He said, "Improvement of civic facilities is among our priorities and for that purpose, education, health, infrastructure and transport sectors are being improved through revolutionary steps." Citizens would benefit from all these projects and their living standard would be raised, he added.

Shehbaz Sharif said that cooperation of World Bank for urban development and improving facilities in small and big cities augured well. He said that World Bank should evolve a roadmap in this regard which would be speedily implemented.

Speaking on the occasion, Senior Director World Bank Group said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Punjab government had taken a number of steps for improving civic amenities and urban progress.

He said that better work had been carried out in infrastructure, transport and other sectors in Punjab as compared to several countries. He said that all out cooperation would be extended to the Punjab government for urban development and improving civic facilities.

World Bank Mission which met the Chief Minister included Country Director in Pakistan Illango Patchamuthu, Senior Director World Bank Group for Social, Urban & Rural Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasques and Manager Urban Development for South Asia Ming Zhang. Provincial Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Chief Secretary and Chairman Planning & Development were also present on the occasion.