Author: dailybalochistantimes.com

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Commissioner reviews progress on development schemes

Sargodha: A meeting chaired by Commissioner Sargodha Division Jahanzeb Awan reviewed progress on new and ongoing schemes under the Local Government and Community Development (LG and CD) Department in the division's four districts on Thursday.

The briefing was attended by Director Development Bilal Hassan and Executive Engineer Local Government Mian Shaukat Ali. The meeting was informed that work was in progress on 273 schemes with an estimated cost of Rs. 3.36 billion. Those include 262 new schemes, seven under the Annual Development Programme, and four ongoing projects.

Under the Chief Minister Punjab's Special Development Program, 50% of funds were released for 251 schemes, and 26% of the work was completed. Sargodha Division ranks second across the province in completing LG and CD projects. The schemes include 231 in Sargodha, 17 in Khushab, and three in Bhakkar.

The commissioner also announced plans to convene a meeting to evaluate progress on the Chief Minister's Special Development Program in other departments.

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9 pumping stations restored in Lyari : Mayor Karachi

Karachi: Mayor Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said that 9 pumping stations in Lyari have been restored, and efforts have been made to beautify the roads around sewage pumping stations.

He made these remarks on Thursday after inaugurating Shaheed Waja Ahmed Karim Dad Family Park, Maula Madad Pumping Station, and Shakoor Shaheed Pumping Station during his visit to Lyari.

After inaugurating Waja Ahmed Karim Dad Family Park in Miran Naka, Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that he had come to inaugurate the public welfare projects carried out by the Pakistan Peoples Party in Lyari.

He said that this park has been dedicated to Lyari's renowned social leader Shaheed Waja Karim Dad. The Pakistan Peoples Party never forgets its martyrs, he noted.

He said that in order to save it from drug addicts, we have inaugurated this park today. This was not just a park; it was a sewage pumping station and we have transformed the area around the sewage pumping station into a park, he said.

He said that a park has also been built around the Jamila Pumping Station in Lyari. Regarding the inauguration of Maula Madad Pumping Station and Shakoor Shaheed Pumping Station, he stated that a comprehensive strategy has been adopted to solve the issues of water scarcity and load-shedding in Lyari.

He said that 18 new pumps have been installed for nine pumping stations of the Water Corporation, and ten additional vertical pumps have been bought to avoid problems in Lyari.

He said that we have also bought new generators to ensure there are no difficulties due to load shedding. Work is ongoing for the restoration of the Jamila Pumping Station and Shireen Jinnah Colony's pumping station.

He added that the city has a network of sewage, and water theft occurs in Lyari through it. To address this, a project has been planned to lay an elevated line of three. We will work on this project ourselves. In August, a new canal will be laid for water supply from the Hub Dam.

Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad, CEO of Water and Sewerage Corporation Asadullah Khan, Deputy Parliamentary Leader in city council Dil Muhammad, Jumman Durrani, local leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party in Lyari, district office-bearers, elected representatives, workers, and others were also present at the occasion.

He said that under the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the journey of Karachi's development will continue, and this process of construction and development will continue in all seven districts of Karachi. The future will prove to be prosperous for this city, he concluded.

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EPI Director Sindh attributes measles surge to disrupted vaccination campaigns by Covid

Islamabad:: Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Sindh, Dr. Muhammad Naeem, said on Thursday that measles cases witnessed a significant surge due to disrupted vaccination campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Talking to a private news channel, he said that in that period, particularly, the measles vaccination campaign was totally smashed because of the lockdown.

The other big reason for this spike is the reluctance of parents to visit vaccination centers, which also contributed to measles cases, he added.

He said that the Sindh Health Department, in collaboration with GAVI and WHO, has vaccinated approximately one million children across the province.

The vaccination drive will be conducted four times a year with measles-rubella vaccine support, he added.

According to the health department, around 6,600 children have been affected by measles in Sindh since November, while approximately 130 children lost their lives to the disease last year.

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DHQ hospital Abbottabad to receive category-A upgrade with 215 additional beds

Abbottabad: The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday has initiated a major upgrade of the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Abbottabad, elevating it to a Category-A facility as part of its commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure.

The expanded facility will add 215 beds, significantly enhancing the hospital's capacity to cater to the growing healthcare needs of the region.

The new additions will include beds for the Medical Ward, Surgical Ward, ENT Ward, Ophthalmology Department, Cardiology Ward, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Psychiatry Ward, Dental Department, and Dialysis Services.

This ambitious project reflects the government's dedication to providing accessible and modern medical care, ensuring better health services for the residents of Abbottabad and neighboring areas.

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Maryam announces ‘Chief Minister Solarization for Agricultural Tubewells’ programme

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced the launch of the 'Chief Minister Punjab Solarization for Agricultural Tubewells' programme.

The program would help convert 8,000 agricultural tubewells in Punjab to solar energy, promoting sustainability and easing the financial burden on farmers.

The Punjab government will provide a substantial subsidy of Rs. 9 billion for the solarization of tube wells. The subsidy amounts are Rs. 500,000 for up to 10 kW, Rs. 750,000 for up to 15 kW, Rs. 1 million for up to 20 kW. Farmers owning at least one acre of agricultural land are eligible to apply for this solarization program. The application process has been made simple and can be completed online at cmstp.punjab.gov.pk. Additionally, the application form can be downloaded from www.agripunjab.gov.pk.

The date for submitting applications has been extended to allow more farmers to benefit from this program.

CM Maryam Nawaz emphasized that every promise made to the farmers will be fulfilled. This solarization project will provide relief from inflated electricity bills, ensuring that farmers can fully participate in the progress and development of Punjab. 'Whenever the PML-N government is in power, the prosperity of farmers is guaranteed,' she said.

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Pakistan’s total liquid foreign reserves $16.41 billion

Karachi: The total liquid foreign reserves of Pakistan stood at US$ 16,408.7 million as of December 27, 2024 while the reserves held by the central bank were recorded as $ 11,710.5 million.

The State Bank of Pakistan, Thursday, reported that foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank 'decreased by US$ 143 million to US$ 11,710.5 million due to external debt repayments' during the week ended on December 27, 2024.

The break up shows that net foreign reserves of $ 4,698.2 million were held by commercial banks during the week under review.

Total liquid foreign reserves held by the country, in the previous week ended on December 20, 2024, were $ 16,371.5 million. Among them foreign reserves held by the central bank were recorded as $ 11,853.5 million while commercial banks held net reserves of $ 4,518 million.