Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar housing programme has drawn an overwhelming response, with the number of applications crossing 755,000 as of Sunday, officials said.
The initiative is designed to support low-income families and government employees in building their own homes. Under the scheme, interest-free loans of up to PKR 1.5 million will be provided to eligible applicants. According to officials, special counters are being set up in departments such as health, education, and waste management companies to assist workers in filing applications.
So far, PKR 79.34 billion has been disbursed among deserving families under the programme, while PKR 1.37 billion has been recovered in the form of instalments deposited in the treasury.
Meanwhile, Punjab is also advancing complementary initiatives aimed at social welfare and urban development. Secretary Price Control Dr Ehsan Bhutta reviewed construction work on Sahulat markets in Lahore’s Shadman and Gulshan-e-Ravi areas. The markets are part of the government’s plan to provide affordable food and transform vacant land into public-use spaces.
Dr Bhutta directed that saplings be planted around the Shadman Public Bazaar as part of the province-wide plantation drive, stressing that greenery would help mitigate the impact of polluted water from nearby drains. He further warned that negligence or delays in public-benefit projects would not be tolerated.
Separately, the provincial government is continuing its Plant for Pakistan campaign, which aims to plant 42 million trees across 50,869 acres during August 2025 to combat climate change and promote environmental sustainability.
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