CM Maryam clears SL-4 Ring Road, sets June 30 deadline for Punjab road projects

• Punjab CM makes weekly progress reports mandatory for all road sector projects, saying Multan–Vehari ‘dust-free road’ nears key milestone

• Announces wheat procurement at Rs3,500 per maund with free gunny bags for farmers worth Rs6b

• 72-hour payment guarantee, Kissan Card priority and Rs100bn loans underline agri push

 

 LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday approved the SL-4 Lahore Ring Road project, while directing authorities to submit weekly progress reports on all road sector initiatives across the province, underscoring her government’s push for accelerated infrastructure development.

Chairing a high-level meeting to review major infrastructure projects, the chief minister stressed timely and high-quality completion of the Multan–Vehari Road. Officials informed her that base and sub-base work on the province’s first “dust-free road” has been completed, with asphalt laying progressing at a rapid pace.

The meeting also granted in-principle approval for Phase II of the Sialkot Ring Road, which will extend from Wazirabad Road to Sialkot–Pasrur Road. A proposal for the Thal Expressway — aimed at linking Bhakkar and Layyah with the M-4 motorway — was presented for consideration.

Reviewing progress on the Rawalpindi Signal-Free Corridor, officials briefed that the project comprises seven underpasses and one overhead bridge.

The chief minister directed that all ongoing road schemes must be completed within stipulated timelines, reiterating the need for strict monitoring, particularly of key projects such as the Multan–Vehari Road.

The meeting was informed that 133 projects are currently underway under the Chief Minister’s initiative, in addition to 125 other schemes. In total, 2,143 road sector projects have been launched across Punjab, including 258 under completion. So far, 376 projects have been completed, while work is ongoing on 86 schemes.

Under the Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase I, 85 schemes were initiated — 38 of which have been completed and 47 are in progress. In Phase II, 43 schemes were launched, with 18 completed and 25 still underway.

Highlighting the scale of development, the chief minister noted that, for the first time in Punjab’s history, more than 12,000 kilometres of roads have been constructed or rehabilitated. She emphasized a special focus on rural link roads, saying improved connectivity would ease access from farms to markets and from factories to commercial centres.

She stressed that equitable development and prosperity depend on road connectivity reaching every city and village.

The meeting also reviewed 462 ongoing road schemes in various cities, while the chief minister directed that plantation be ensured along all road projects.

Wheat procurement at Rs3,500 per maund, free gunny bags for farmers

In a related development, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced the immediate start of wheat procurement at Rs3,500 per maund, along with the provision of free gunny bags worth Rs6 billion for farmers across the province.

Chairing another meeting on wheat procurement, gunny bag distribution and the Green Tractor Scheme, she directed that procurement from farmers begin without delay. It was decided in principle that wheat would be purchased on a priority basis from farmers holding Kissan Cards.

She further ordered that payments to farmers be ensured within 72 hours of procurement at the fixed rate of Rs3,500 per maund. Strategic management committees will be set up at provincial and divisional levels to oversee the process.

Officials informed the meeting that 88 per cent of farmers have expressed confidence in the provincial government’s agricultural initiatives. The chief minister also announced the launch of the “Work with Punjab Government” programme, offering internship opportunities to agriculture graduates and others.

The meeting was briefed that a record Rs100 billion in loans has been disbursed through the Kissan Card, with a recovery rate of 99 per cent, while nine lakh farmers have been registered under the scheme. The chief minister directed that the registration process continue.

It was further shared that under the Green Tractor Scheme, a target of 30,000 tractors had been set, of which 20,000 have already been delivered. The initiative, along with broader agricultural mechanisation, is supporting growth in the local industry, with manufacturers in Daska actively producing harvesters.

Reaffirming her government’s commitment, the chief minister said farmers would not be left unsupported, adding that sustainable agricultural development was being ensured and that, by the grace of Allah, the province had achieved a “real agricultural revolution” within two years.