LAHORE, Oct 31(ABC): Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Central Business District (CPD Punjab Boulevard) project for its remodelling from Kalma Chowk to Liberty and completion of the project would provide ease to citizens in transportation and would save time.Addressing the ceremony held in this regard and later talking to the media here, the CM said that the CPD Boulevard would cost approximately Rs 4.2 billion and this project would be an example of its own not only of Lahore but also in Punjab as well as Pakistan.
The CPD Punjab Boulevard project would promote national and international investment. Remodelling of the main boulevard from the Liberty Chowk to the Kalma Chowk has been given the name of ”CPD Punjab Boulevard, he added.He said that the CPD project was being developed according to the vision of Imran Khan, who wanted the investors to forget Dubai and invest in the CPD project.Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi assured, “We will provide all facilities to the investors making investment in the CPD project.” He asserted that he would not tolerate any obstacle relating to investment matters and a separate cell would be set up in the CMO (Chief Minister Office) to run the matters of investment relating to CPD on a fast track.
The number of projects which the present government was launching in Punjab, would benefit the common man. He said that those works which his government launched from the onset, their positive results have started coming to surface.During his previous tenure, he had launched the programme to computerize the number plates, and now the PITB started ”Go Punjab App” and the citizens would be ensured provision of services by sitting at their homes, he mentioned. Now the citizens would not have to go to the offices for getting token tax, driving licence, death and birth certificates, marriage certificate and other services.
The farmers had also been given the facility through the app for the payment of Abiana and Malia and the farmers also didn’t need to go to the patwaris for the Abiana and Malia. The stamp fee of the property tax had been reduced to one percent from two percent and the ban on recruitments had been lifted in Punjab. The advertisements for the recruitments were publishing in the newspapers.He said, “We have established five new districts in Punjab and are also going to make three new districts of Lahore as some part of Kasur was also being included in the new district of Lahore and it will also be linked with the Motorway.
The Motorway after going through Kasur will go to Pakpattan, Okara and Bahawalnagar. This road from Bahawalnagar will link Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan and will be linked with Sindh.”CM stated that the government was endeavouring to provide maximum facilities to the common man and it had decided to launch the Blue Line project in Lahore. The Blue Line train would run from Model Town, Garden Town and would take the Blue Line from Data Sahib up to the old airport and this project would prove to be a milestone for Lahore. This project would be completed under BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) and discussion with the ADB (Asian Development Bank) in this regard were started. The loan would be taken at two percent on soft conditions.
The present government had also made education free up to BA level and the World Bank was also assisting in this regard.CPD CEO Imran Amin said that 365 metre long single free main boulevard would be constructed in 180 days.MPA Mian Muhammad Usman, Brig. (R) Mansoor Janjua, Vice Chairman PBIT Fazeel Asif, Commissioner Lahore Division, CCPO Lahore, Secretary Information, DG LDA, Deputy Commissioner Lahore and concerned officials attended the ceremony.