Government to give priority to provision of basic facilities in rural Sindh: PM

ASSOCIATED PRESS SERVICE

ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said that the government would give priority to infrastructure development and provision of basic health and education facilities in Sindh, particularly the rural areas to bring them at par with developed parts of the country.
He was talking to MNAs of the ruling coalition belonging to rural Sindh here at his Parliament House Chamber this evening.
The Prime Minister said the government has inherited a depleted economy because of the wrong policies of the previous government and reaffirmed the government’s commitment of taking both short term and long term measures for providing relief to the people.
He said the government is taking steps for increasing employment opportunities for the people, particularly in the underdeveloped areas.
He said the government would improve the working of Pakistan Baitul Maal and Zakat and Ushr departments for assisting in the alleviation of poverty.
The Prime Minister said he is holding a series of meetings with MNAs from all the provinces in order to get first hand information on the needs of different areas of the country.
He said that ban on inter-district movement of wheat and Atta has been lifted in order to improve the availability of Atta at reasonable price to the consumers.
The Prime Minister said an inter-provincial meeting would also be called soon to formulate a joint strategy for resolving the Atta crisis.
The MNAs apprised the Prime Minister of various matters relating to their constituencies including health and education facilities, lining of canals and water courses, provision of electricity, gas and clean drinking water and unemployment.
They thanked the Prime Minister for announcing Rs. 10 million for every MNA for meeting the immediate development needs of their respective areas.
They told him that the people of Sindh are appreciative of the government’s decision of increasing wheat support price.
The legislators also briefed the Prime Minister on the law and order situation in their areas particularly Interior Sindh and said that changes need to be made in the Local Government System and the Police Ordinance.
The Prime Minister said the system of policing all over the province would be improved so that common man can feel a sense of security.