LAHORE - PML-Q Punjab chapter on Wednesday through its white-paper termed the performance of the provincial government in 2013, a complete failure.
The white-paper, which the PML-Q called a fact sheet of provincial rulers for 2013, claimed that the party which was in power for six consecutive years in the province had broken all previous records concerning increasing the rates of essential articles, unemployment, lawlessness, failed projects and signing of hollow MOUs. It maintained that prices of eatables increased 100 to 150 per cent, as in 2007 20-kilo atta bag was available at subsidized rate of Rs 230 whereas it was being sold at Rs 1,000 at the end of 2013. The provincial government procured wheat from farmers at cheaper rates and sold at higher prices resultantly earned huge profit of Rs 25 billion on the cost of farmers’ miseries. The fact sheet further said that the province, which was surplus with Rs 100 billion on the last day of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, was now under huge debt of Rs 500 billion despite getting additional resources of Rs 100 billion every year under the NFC Award. The rulers who had raised the slogan of breaking the begging bowl had not only enhanced its size but also handed over begging bowl of loans with interest in the hands of every youth under the so-called Youth Loan Scheme. It stated that for the first time in the history, spurious medicines were used at government hospitals due to which 150 precious human lives were lost. Neither the elements who caused these deaths were punished nor compensation was paid to the bereaved families, it maintained.
It further said that victimisation continued by halting the projects of PML-Q government’s tenure which included Wazirabad Cardiology Hospital, Seerat Academy, new building of the Punjab Assembly, besides other hospital and college projects. The action had incurred huge loss to the public exchequer.
The fact sheet stated that the government had miserably failed to improve law and order, as 0.35 million heinous crimes were committed in the province including 5,000 murders, 12,862 cases of abduction and kidnappings for ransom, 31,000 dacoities were committed and 220 people lost their lives during murderous robberies, more than 2,500 cases of molestation and rapes and gang rapes were committed with women and Punjab became a number one province for sixth consecutive year in terms of crime against women. The people of Punjab had staged 13,600 protest demonstrations in 2013 against government’s highhandedness on various issues. Provincial Ombudsman received 20,000 complaints, which were 7,000 more than the last year. It stated that 600 children died of measles in Punjab and more than 55,000 were hit by dengue fever.
The fact-sheet maintained that more than 40 percent public sector schools remained without teachers and basic facilities, while Punjab government failed to do necessary legislation for free and compulsory education.