Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has said that Punjab Chief Minister Maryum Nawaz is going to provide 3,200 plots to journalists of Lahore and will personally handover allotment letters to journalists in February, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.
Azma Bukhari said this while chairing an important meeting of the Board of Governors of Journalist Housing Foundation.
The meeting was attended by Information Secretary Tahir Raza Hamdani, President Lahore Press Club Arshad Ansari, MPA Bilal Yamin Satti, Deputy Secretary Adnan Rashid, Asad Hussain from PJF, and Muhammad Yasin.
In the meeting, the board of Journalist Housing Foundation approved the master plan of Journalist Colony Phase II.
Giving a briefing to meeting Punjab Information Secretary Tahir Raza Hamdani told that schools, roads from 40 feet to 100 feet, commercial areas and parks will be built in the housing colony.
He further briefed that Rs400 million have been given to Ruda and the process of purchasing land has been almost completed.
Land is being purchased from Ruda under Section 4.
Talking on the occasion Azma Bukhari said as many as 3200 plots of 5 marla are being given to journalists.
She said the Punjab government is sincerely going to provide journalists with their roof but unfortunately, some black sheep hiding in the cloak of journalism are against the roof of their own journalist brothers.
Such elements should be ashamed who are using the future of journalists' children for personal political ambitions, Azma Bukhari said.
These elements have a clear message that do not do dirty politics on the roof of journalists.
For the past few days, people from the media wing of a political party have been propagandizing in the name of Journalist Colony Phase II and such elements will have to pay a price in the coming days, Azma Bukhari said.
She said the current administration of the Lahore Press Club has cooperated a lot in this regard.
Journalist Housing Foundation will soon provide their plots to the members of Phase II is going to be given, Azma Bukhari said.
About 1400 journalist members of Sahafi Colony Phase II have deposited their development charges in advance, Azma Bukhari said.
Azma Bukhari said 635 employees of Punjab Information Ministry have also deposited their advance charges.
Members of Sahafi Colony Phase II who have not deposited their advance charges should also do so soon, Azma Bukhari said.
She said no one will be allowed to play with the future of 3200 journalists and their families.
Azma Bukhari said the balloting process of non-members of Lahore Press Club will be completed transparently.
The government cannot be blackmailed by creating a mafia and a pressure group, Azma Bukhari said.
She said the issues of Rawalpindi and Multan journalist housing schemes have been put on hold until the next meeting.
Azma Bukhari said records of council members and journalists sought from Multan Press Club.
She said the LDA commercial plan has been adopted in Lahore's Journalist Colony.
Reporter: Rao Dilshad Hussain