The Punjab government is considering an additional allocation of Rs. 39 billion for the next phase of its model villages program under the “Maryam Nawaz Ka Sohna Punjab” initiative.
The proposal came under review during a meeting at the Civil Secretariat chaired by Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique. Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmad, Special Secretary Shahid Zaman Lak, and other relevant officials also attended the session.
During the meeting, the Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company briefed participants on progress under the model villages project. Officials said 485 villages across Punjab are being developed under the program, with the first phase aimed at providing modern municipal services to around four million people.
The minister directed authorities to take all necessary steps to complete the first phase by December 2026.
According to the breakdown shared in the meeting, the project includes 48 villages in Bahawalpur division, 55 in Gujranwala, 63 in Multan, 39 in DG Khan, 41 in Sargodha, 44 in Sahiwal, 51 in Gujrat, 50 in Lahore division, 58 in Rawalpindi, and 36 in Faisalabad.
Zeeshan Rafique said all streets in the selected villages would be paved, while traditional ponds would also be restored. Plans for children’s parks and streetlights are also part of the project.
He instructed officials not to break already paved streets unnecessarily and said water supply schemes should only be included in villages that are actually facing water shortages.
The minister further said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed that the scope of the model villages program be expanded to 7,500 villages in future phases. He added that the next stages should be planned by taking into account the experience and challenges of the first phase.