DW BUREAU /chandigarh Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday directed the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) to expedite development works in the state. The PIDB board at a meeting here gave ex-post-facto approval to Rs 27.16 crore worth of urban environment improvement projects, along with development, upgradation and maintenance of various historical sites, including the Patiala Qila Mubarak, according to a government release here. The chief minister is likely to virtually launch next week the Rs 8.58-crore project for upgradation, operation and maintenance of Qila Mubarak Patiala as heritage hotel on public private partnership mode, which is likely to be completed within 18 months. He will also launch the PPP project for operational and maintenance of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial, Chhappar Chiri, at an estimated cost of Rs 2.54 crore with a concession period of 15 years. Singh was informed during the meeting that the construction of the Patiala bus stand had commenced and would be completed by November this year at a cost of Rs 60 crore. While discussing the renovation of the Amritsar Circuit House, at an estimated cost of Rs 3.94 crore, the chief minister asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to work on a proposal to appoint a protocol officer to manage the large number of dignitaries visiting the holy city. Besides giving post-facto approval to the cabinet's decision to impose special infrastructure development fee on sale of fuel and immovable property, the board meeting formally approved Rs 27.16 crore worth of projects, including under urban environment improvement programme. These projects were earlier cleared by the chief minister in his capacity as the board chairman. The PIDB board, in its 36th meeting held virtually, also gave ex-post-facto approval to a Rs 125-crore project for establishing an exhibition centre in Ludhiana on PPP mode, according to the statement. Meanwhile, Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Razia Sultana today under took the review of projects of Department of Water Supply and Sanitation and directed the officers to complete all the ongoing projects on time for ensuring supply of clean and potable drinking water to the residents of villages. Presiding over a review meeting with top officials of Water Supply and Sanitation Department at Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, she also issued instructions to the officials to ensure the quality of water being supplied to residents. The Minister said that clean drinking water is connected with the health of people, so quality of water should be very high. She instructed the officials to coordinate with the Union Government, companies and funding agencies especially the World Bank and NABARD for the timely completion of all the ongoing projects across Punjab. The Minister said that this is the first review meeting of the year 2021 and she would now hold regular meetings with the officials every month to know the progress of all the projects. (editor@dailyworld.in)