LAHORE:Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari Thursday declared that there would be no “no-go areas” in the province, saying the Kacha region would be transformed into a secure and developed zone.
She said the writ of the state had finally been established in the area and the era of dacoits brought to an end.Announcing a Rs23 billion development package approved by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, she said 14,500 acres of state land would be allotted free to local farmers under the “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” programme to promote self-reliance.
The plan includes new schools and colleges, upgradation of existing institutions, 300 merit scholarships and free laptops for students. Around 1,000 livestock cards will be issued to support women, alongside skill development initiatives. The minister said all ongoing welfare schemes of the CM had been extended to the Kacha region, while NADRA mobile teams were issuing CNICs and B-Forms to residents.
To ensure security, the area will be monitored through drones, thermal imaging and digital surveillance under the Safe City project. She said criminals would not be allowed to regroup. Special concessions have also been announced for local youth in police recruitment to boost employment.
She said the allocated land in three Kacha districts would be distributed among landless farmers, while cultivation of dense crops like sugarcane would remain restricted in sensitive areas.Infrastructure development will include roads, bridges and model villages to bring the region into the mainstream. She termed the deployment of mobile registration services a first in decades.
Highlighting security gains, she said the area had been cleared of dacoits and militants, with police equipped with modern technology and armoured vehicles. The minister said many criminals had surrendered and strict monitoring was in place, with Safe City coverage being expanded to the region and nearby districts.
She maintained that land distribution would be strictly merit-based, without political influence, and alternative registration systems would be introduced where internet access was limited. The plan divides the region into floodplain and outer zones, with the Irrigation Department assigned restoration work.
