Latest news with #AnnualDevelopmentProgramme
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Enrolled in govt schools: KP CM decides to provide furniture to students
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has decided that students enrolled in government schools will be provided with furniture under the ongoing educational emergency. He directed the concerned authorities to ensure that the provision of furniture to every government school is completed during the next fiscal year adding that no students in public sector should sit on floor owing to unavailability of furniture. The Chief Minister issued these directives while chairing a meeting here on Sunday to finalize the Annual Development Programme of the upcoming financial year. The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister on Finance, Muzammil Aslam, and Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Ikramullah Khan, and administrative secretaries of relevant departments. He further stated that all required funds for the provision of school furniture will be made available on a priority basis. Highlighting the government's commitment to improving basic facilities, the Chief Minister emphasized that access to proper furniture, functional washrooms, and clean drinking water in government schools is a top priority and that there will be no compromise on these essentials. The Chief Minister has also instructed that a special program be launched to improve the quality of education in government schools further directing that modern training be provided to teachers and that such training be made mandatory for all newly recruited educators. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on development proposals submitted by various departments, including Planning, Communications, Local Government, Education, Health, Irrigation, and Water Supply. Each proposed project was individually reviewed and finalized for inclusion in the upcoming development program. Speaking to the participants, the Chief Minister said the new ADP will be a visionary document, laying the foundation for the province's development agenda over the next four years. The plan will incorporate input from elected public representatives and prioritize projects based on the actual needs of communities across different regions. He added that the ADP would include solid and practical projects serving broad public interests, with the majority of next year's development funds allocated to completing ongoing projects. Projects with over 80% progress will be completed within the next year, while approximately 50% of other ongoing projects are also expected to reach completion in the same period. The Chief Minister stressed that the new ADP will be realistic and aligned with the genuine needs of the public. 'We will not pursue superficial progress while leaving essential needs behind,' he said. 'We will ensure the wise and effective use of taxpayers' money.' Declaring that 'every constituency in the province is my constituency,' the Chief Minister pledged there would be no discrimination in the allocation of development projects. He assured that special attention would be given to uplifting underdeveloped regions. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Industries to pay for pollution
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved a comprehensive plan for the restoration, management and reform of the drainage systems throughout the province. The environmental protection department and district administrations have been strictly directed to ensure legal enforcement of the Punjab Drainage and Local Government Acts. A province-wide operation has been approved to prevent the discharge of toxic water and chemicals into Punjab's drains. Under environmental protection guidelines, the 'polluters pay' principle will be strictly enforced, holding polluting industries accountable for environmental damage. A ban has been imposed on the disposal of industrial and municipal waste into all drains across Punjab, including the Hadyara Drain. As a Drainage Restoration and Management Committee commenced implementation of the measures, in the first meeting chaired by Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, a detailed briefing was given on the Hadyara Drain. The environmental protection department was tasked with strict enforcement actions around the Hadyara area. A crackdown will be initiated against factories that fail to install water treatment plants and continue to discharge chemical waste into the drain. The health department was instructed to submit a report and plan regarding public health conditions around Hadyara. WASA, along with the departments of industry and irrigation were directed to take immediate action to improve the conditions. A survey of the drainage system across the province will be conducted to identify flaws and propose solutions. Approval was granted for a plan to repair and upgrade the drainage system. Moreover, it was decided to enhance the wastewater management infrastructure through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The provincial senior minister said key environmental projects have been included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP). Meanwhile, during a meeting with Punjab Assembly Members Muhammad Ahmed Khan Leghari and Naeem Akhtar Khan Bhabha to discuss welfare projects, public problems and development issues of their constituencies, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz termed education and financial independence of the youth her top priorities. She said, "We want to bring benefits of development to every section of the province." The MPAs thanked the chief minister for starting the construction and expansion project of the Multan-Vehari road. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed the authorities concerned to start classes in the Vehari Girls College after the summer break. She also directed the authorities to launch a water supply scheme for Fort Munro. In her message on the Global Day of Parents, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said, "Today, do remember those children whose parents sacrificed their precious lives for the security of our beloved homeland." She added, "I also pay tribute to those parents whose children were martyred."
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
K-P vows furniture for all students
In a significant move to bolster public education, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has announced that all students enrolled in government schools across the province will receive proper furniture during the next fiscal year. The initiative is part of the province's ongoing "education emergency" campaign aimed at uplifting basic educational infrastructure. Chairing a high-level meeting on Sunday to finalize the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the upcoming financial year, the chief minister directed relevant authorities to ensure that no student in the public sector is left sitting on the floor due to a lack of furniture. He assured that all necessary funds for this initiative would be made available on a priority basis. Emphasizing the provincial government's commitment to improving basic school facilities, Gandapur reiterated that functional washrooms, access to clean drinking water, and adequate classroom furniture are non-negotiable priorities. In a broader push for quality education, the chief minister also announced the launch of a special program to enhance teaching standards in public schools. He directed that modern, skills-based training be made mandatory for all newly recruited teachers, adding that capacity-building for educators is essential for long-term educational reform. The ADP planning meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister on Finance Muzammil Aslam, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Ikramullah Khan, and administrative secretaries of various departments. Participants held detailed deliberations on development proposals submitted by departments including Education, Health, Irrigation, Water Supply, Planning, Communications, and Local Government. Each project was individually reviewed for inclusion in the new ADP. Speaking to the attendees, Chief Minister Gandapur described the upcoming ADP as a "visionary document" that would guide the province's development agenda for the next four years. He said the plan would incorporate input from elected representatives and prioritize projects based on the genuine needs of local communities. He further stated that the bulk of next year's development budget would be dedicated to completing ongoing projects, particularly those with over 80 per cent of work already completed. Approximately 50 per cent of other existing projects are also expected to be finalized within the year. "The new ADP will be realistic and rooted in public needs," Gandapur said. "We will not chase superficial progress at the expense of essential services. Taxpayers' money will be used wisely and transparently." Declaring that "every constituency in the province is my constituency," the CM assured that development initiatives would be allocated without political bias, with a special focus on uplifting underdeveloped areas.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
Cancer patients to get instant biopsy reports
For the first time in Pakistan, immediate biopsy reports of suspected cancer patients will be possible in a government hospital. Under the development projects for the upcoming fiscal year, the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) will introduce a confocal instant digital pathology system, enabling real-time detection of tumor nature and spread during the surgery. Suspected cancer patients will now receive immediate biopsy reports even at government hospitals. The JPMC is set to become Pakistan's first public hospital to implement the confocal instant digital pathology system, allowing surgeons to determine tumor type and extent in real-time during surgeries. Professor Shahid Rasool, Executive Director of Jinnah Hospital Karachi, stated that the technology was previously available in private hospitals only. However, it will now be installed at Jinnah Hospital with the support of Sindh Health Department under the Sindh government's Annual Development Programme. He said that the technology processes samples and creates slides during surgery, allowing immediate determination whether a tumor is present and, if so, how far it has spread. Patients will no longer have to wait 14 to 15 days for biopsy results. Two advanced units will be purchased at a cost of Rs366 million. One unit will be installed in the surgical complex, benefiting general surgery, orthopaedics, thoracic, and ENT departments, while the second unit will be set up in the gynaecology ward. The aim of the project is not only to increase the speed and accuracy of biopsies but also to reduce the time patients remain under anaesthesia. Current methods, such as frozen section and core biopsies, take longer to produce reports, which can endanger patients' lives. The project also includes training for medical staff and improving technical expertise alongside the procurement of modern machines. Hospital officials said this system will be particularly beneficial for poor and middle-class patients who cannot afford expensive treatments at private hospitals.
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
KP govt sets targets for completion of hydropower projects: CM
PESHAWAR: 'The KP government has set the timely and quality completion of multiple small and large-scale hydropower projects as a key priority to fully utilise the province's considerable hydropower potential.' This was stated by KP Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur while chairing a meeting of the Energy and Power Department. The chief minister emphasised that financial progress on these projects must reach 100% by the end of the current fiscal year, alongside meeting physical progress targets as scheduled. The meeting reviewed the progress so far made on the projects being carried out under the Annual Development Programme by the Energy and Power Department. The concerned officials gave a detailed briefing on the financial and physical progress of these projects. The chief minister directed that financial progress on these projects must be ensured at 100 percent by the end of the current fiscal year. He also instructed that physical progress on these projects be ensured in accordance with the set targets. Ali Amin Gandapur stated that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has considerable hydropower potential; timely and quality completion of ongoing hydro power projects is essential to fully benefit from it. On this occasion, the chief minister directed that measures be taken to supply electricity from the under-construction Balakot Hydropower Project to local industries. He also emphasised ensuring significant progress on the solarisation project, stating that solarisation is a flagship initiative of the current provincial government. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
