MULTAN - South Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Capt (retd) Saqib Zafar asked officials on Thursday to come up with a mega plan to preserve heritage sites in Multan including the centuries-old Qasim Fort, located on the highest mound in the heart of the city and home to two architectural masterpieces from history including mausoleums of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya and Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam.
The mausoleum of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam is viral on web pages and social media platforms as the identity of Multan, is the one that had won the prestigious Agha Khan Award for its best conservation around 1980s under supervision of then top conservation expert and Director Punjab Archaeology Late Mr Wali Ullah Khan.
During a visit to DC office, Saqib Zafar chaired an official meeting and asked officials to remove encroachments from Qasim Fort and restore it to its original form.
He ordered that paperwork for the establishment of a cadet college in Multan be completed at the earliest.
He said that an industrial zone would be set up on 500-acre area in Jalalpur Pirwala.
He said that the mother and child health project and Nadirabad flyover be completed at the earliest. He directed officials to dedicate a city road to mango, the king of fruit, for being the identity of Multan. He said that the agriculture department would provide mango plants for plantation on the Mango Road.
He asked all the officials to play an active role in reaching out to every village and town with modern governance facilities for success of the Punjab government’s “Ab Gaon Chamken Gey” initiative.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Omar Jahangir informed that dozens of mega projects were under execution in Multan and a sum of Rs9.98 billion was allocated under annual development plan.
He said that Rs1.14 billion PC-1 for a flyover over Shujabad Railways Crossing has been prepared besides a Rs200 million plan to develop 19 parks in Multan. He said that Punjab chief minister has accorded approval to parks project. He added that work on PC-1 of cadet college was in progress and would be finalised soon. The project would cost around Rs700 million.
He said that the scope of Multan Waste Management Company has been expanded to 86 union councils and a summary seeking additional expenses worth Rs600 million has been sent to CM Punjab for approval. Omar Jahangir further stated that a site has been selected for shifting of district jail and a sum of Rs6 billion would be spent on the project.
He said that a plan has also been finalised to develop a food street at historical Qasim Fort and the design of the Rs22 million project has been finalised.
Officials informed that 328,164 acre area was brought under cotton cultivation in Multan. Crop was in better shape and steps were underway to ensure that farmers get a good price of their produce.
The DC said that a 65 percent increase in health insurance coverage for poor patients has been ensured. All administrative secretaries of south Punjab and district government officials Multan were present.
