The Punjab government has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform 443 villages into “Model Villages” as part of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s rural development vision.
Provincial Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique shared details of the initiative while reviewing progress on the project, which is aimed at upgrading infrastructure, municipal services, and basic facilities in rural communities across the province.
In the first phase, development work will begin in 224 villages by mid-December, with the following regional distribution:
- 36 villages in Sargodha
- 40 in Sahiwal
- 53 in Gujranwala
- 46 in Gujrat
- 62 in Multan
- 36 in Dera Ghazi Khan
- 46 across Lahore and Sheikhupura
- 46 in Rawalpindi
- 47 in Bahawalpur
- 31 in Faisalabad
These areas will receive improved municipal services and upgraded infrastructure, aimed at raising living standards and reducing the development gap between rural and urban Punjab.
The first phase is expected to be completed within ten months, directly impacting an estimated 3.4 million people. Rafique reiterated that the Model Village project is designed to bring tangible, visible improvements to daily life in Punjab’s rural and semi-urban communities.
