Govt to meet children’s development goals
By Ali Imran

RAWALPINDI—Laying the foundation stone of Journalist Colony for media men of Rawalpindi and Islamabad Chief Minister Punjab Ch Pervaiz Elahi has said that the development work akin to international standard would be completed within one year.
Addressing on the occasion here Monday at Lohi Bher, the site of journalist colony, Ch Pervaiz Elahi said that plots value of less than Rs. 0.4 million would be provided to journalist community and the facility to get loans on soft installments through Bank of Punjab for the construction of houses would also be provided.
Punjab Chief Minister said that a bill from the Punjab Assembly has been approved unanimously to strength the foundation for the colony and no government in future can create hurdles in the completion of the project.
Ch Pervaiz Elahi said that park, mosque and a school would be constructed in the colony, adding that Bahria Town would bear all expenditures of the construction of school and mosque. In the new housing scheme, along the print media, the electronic media has also been included and all basic facilities would be provided in the scheme, added by Chief Minister.
Terming the journalism, an important pillar of the state, the Chief Minster said that the government is determined to strengthen that pillar, adding that a journalist colony would also be established in Multan.
Expressing his views on freedom of press, the Punjab Chief Minister said that the media has never experienced freedom which it has now in the government of President Pervez Musharraf. The government welcomes any positive criticism, he added.
Meanwhile, addressing on the occasion President Rawalpindi Islamabad Press Club (RIPC) Mushtaq Minhas has said that cost of 10 Marla plot of Lohi Bare Journalist colony be equal to cost of land of Lahore Journalist colony.
He said that the amount of land should not be exceeded to Rs. 350000 adding that development work including laying out work of sewerage pipelines and construction of roads should be completed akin to international standard.
President RIPC further demanded of the Punjab Government to provide residential facilities to those media men who died during duty as well to include journalists in the scheme, which are working outside the country. Government of Punjab should announce package regarding expansion and renovation work of Rawalpindi Islamabad Press Club besides fixing grant for RIPC, he added.
Federal Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Provincial Local Body and Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, Vice President RIPC Sadiq Sajid and others prominent personalities were present on the occasion.