Lahore Division

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Punjab government has launched an urgent repair and reconstruction drive for 135 structurally unsafe government school buildings across Lahore, directing education authorities to complete critical rehabilitation work as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and school staff.
According to the Punjab Education Department, the initiative follows concerns over the deteriorating condition of several government school buildings, many of which have become unsafe due to years of wear and delayed maintenance. Officials said the rehabilitation programme had been postponed last year following changes in government policy, leaving a significant number of repair and reconstruction projects incomplete.
A spokesperson for the department stated that authorities have now prioritized the pending works, with most repair activities scheduled to be completed during the ongoing summer vacations. The timeline has been designed to minimize disruption to academic activities while ensuring that schools are safe and fully functional before students return for the new term.
The decision also comes after multiple incidents of roof collapses and structural failures in aging school buildings raised serious concerns about student safety. To assess the situation comprehensively, the Education Department's Strategic Management Unit carried out a fresh survey to identify buildings requiring immediate intervention. The assessment helped determine the schools most in need of urgent repairs, reconstruction, and structural strengthening.
Officials confirmed that, in addition to restoring unsafe buildings, the government is also undertaking rehabilitation projects and constructing additional classrooms to accommodate growing student enrolment and improve learning facilities across the city.
With the arrival of the monsoon season, construction and repair activities have been accelerated to reduce potential risks associated with heavy rainfall and aging infrastructure. Authorities emphasized that all necessary measures are being taken to create a safer educational environment and prevent accidents caused by deteriorating school buildings.
The Education Department reaffirmed its commitment to completing the rehabilitation programme within the planned timeframe, ensuring that government schools provide secure, modern, and conducive learning environments for students throughout Lahore.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has decided in principle to launch the “Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar” programme as a major initiative to improve the safety of residential buildings across the province in the wake of the Kahna tragedy.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed that financial assistance be provided to households with weak, dilapidated or unsafe roofs to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
A special meeting chaired by the chief minister reviewed the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” and “Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar” programmes in detail. The meeting decided to expand the existing housing initiative by introducing two new financial assistance categories under the “Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar” programme.
According to the proposals presented in the meeting, interest free loans of up to Rs 500,000 will be provided for the repair, rehabilitation and safety improvement of weak, dilapidated or unsafe homes. Citizens who want to construct an additional floor on their existing houses will be eligible for interest free loans of up to Rs1 million, repayable in easy instalments.
The chief minister also ordered the release of the second tranche of the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” programme within three days and directed officials to make the loan process even easier so that more deserving families can benefit from the facility.
The meeting was informed that 134,343 houses have so far been completed across Punjab under the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” programme, while interest free loans have been approved for more than 180,000 families. According to the briefing, around 170,000 families have already received loans, and more than 27,500 houses are in the final stages of completion.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” programme and all related initiatives are flagship projects of the Punjab government, adding that negligence or delay will not be tolerated. She said the government would support citizens whose homes are unsafe or whose roofs are weak, stressing that good governance is reflected not in statements but in practical action.
Progress on the “Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar” programme was also reviewed during the meeting. Officials informed participants that 2,000 homeless families in 23 districts have already been given free residential plots, and they will also be provided interest free loans for house construction.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has launched the computerized balloting process under the “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” programme to allot state owned cultivable agricultural land to 30,000 landless and deserving families across the province.
According to the Punjab government, the scheme will provide successful families with access to farmland, along with financial assistance of Rs 50,000 per acre and technical support for cultivation. Families allotted four acres will receive a total of Rs 200,000 to help prepare the land for farming.
During the ceremony, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz spoke by phone with Abdul Sattar, a successful applicant from Faisalabad, and congratulated him on securing land through the programme.
The chief minister said the “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” programme was launched on April 22 and received around 60,000 applications. She said computerized balloting has now been completed for nearly 29,000 plots.
Maryam Nawaz added that around 11,000 women also applied for the programme, while all applicants were given an opportunity to file appeals before the final draw.
According to the Punjab government, allotment letters will be issued within a week, while possession of the land is expected to be handed over by July 31.
Speaking at the ceremony in Lahore, the chief minister said the initiative aims to lease 121,000 acres of government-owned cultivable land to landless families for a 20 year term at a symbolic annual rent of Rs100 per acre.
She said the programme is designed to improve livelihoods, increase agricultural productivity and strengthen the rural economy by giving landless families access to farmland. The government, she added, wants to provide deserving families with an opportunity for dignified employment and economic self reliance.