There should be equal development for South and North parts of Punjab: Federal Minister.

Dated : 1 November 2018

Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reform Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar has said that focus should be paid on equal and balanced development of South and North parts of Punjab adding that there is a need to devise sound development strategies in this regard for betterment of the people.

The Federal Minister was talking to Chief Secretary Punjab Yousuf Naseem Khokhar who called on him at the Ministry on Tuesday. Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan was also present in the meeting.

The Minister emphasized that Punjab Government should focus on less developed regions for equal progress and prosperity of all the areas of the province. The Minister stated that the base of CPEC is being expanded with inclusion of agriculture sector under this framework. He noted that Punjab is the largest province in terms of agriculture productivity adding that Pakistan’s economy will grow if the province witnesses further agriculture growth.

During the meeting, the Punjab’s annual development programme came under discussion. The Minister was apprised that a study to assess the environmental and socio-economic impact of Sutlej and Ravi rivers was also being conducted. The Minister called for optimal utilization of existing resources for across the board development of the province.