Neglected areas will be developed: CM Buzdar.

LAHORE -- Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that backward areas will be brought on a par with the developed cities of the province.

'The love and affection shown by people of Zafarwal has reminded me of my ancestral area. I feel I am in Taunsa Sharif. Both Zafarwal and Taunsa Sharif are peripheral tehsils and the location of Zafarwal is geographically important, but it was deprived of development like Taunsa Sharif,' he said while addressing a public gathering in Zafarwal on Thursday.

The chief minister said no doubt this area was deprived of its share in development. 'Full attention was paid to some areas in the past and they progressed, but majority of the areas remained deprived. According to a survey, Rs100,000 per head were spent in some cities and Rs3,400 in areas like Taunsa and Zafarwal. This is an injustice because discrimination promotes unrest in the society. The former rulers raised hollow slogans of composite development and created a societal divide through their unjust approach. On the contrary, our government has promoted composite development and we will not let injustice happen to any area,' he said.

Buzdar said that backward areas were given special attention and more funds were allocated for them. 'I am monitoring the situation and visiting different areas. Deprivations of Zafarwal will be removed. Attention was paid to brick-and-mortar business but public welfare was totally ignored in the past. Due to this inconsistent approach, many buildings are looking like a typical haunted house. Similarly, hospitals were made sans the required resources to run them. We have laid the foundation of durable development and new hospitals are being built to be run efficiently. Hundred seats will be increased in medical colleges. Farmers will be given agri credit cards. Wheat procurement has been started under my supervision,' he said.

The chief minister said that draft of the new local bodies system had been approved by the Punjab Assembly and a bill would introduce a fundamental change in the local bodies system. He said that public problems would be solved at the grassroots. 'We are abolishing district councils and union councils. As many as 22,000 panchayat councils will be constituted in Punjab. Metropolitan corporations will be formed in every division. People will be empowered and local bodies representatives will be answerable to people. There were numerous faults in the previous local bodies system that have...

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