Shahbaz Sharif presides over a cabinet meeting

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif presided over a cabinet meeting, here today. The meeting gave conditional approval to Women Protection Bill 2015 against violence whereas draft of Punjab Labour Policy was also approved.  It was revealed during the meeting that through successful negotiations with Chinese companies, 100 billion rupees have been saved in Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project, upon which, Punjab Cabinet paid rich tributes to Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and his team.

The meeting decided that all Provincial Ministers, Advisors, Special Assistants, Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, Secretaries, Commissioners, DCOs, RPOs and DPOs each will adopt one government school.

Addressing the meeting of Punjab cabinet, Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan, a historic economic package of 46 billion dollars has been announced which included investment of  20 billion dollars only for energy projects. He said that with the cooperation of China, 10400 megawatt projects of solar, coal, wind and hydle will be set up in Pakistan and most of the projects will start generating electricity at the end of 2017. He said that 1320 megawatt coal based power projects will be set up in Sahiwal which will be completed till December 2017. Similarly, 300 megawatt electricity project based on indigenous coal is being set up at Jhelum which will also start working at the end of 2017, he added.

The Chief Minister said that work is being carried out speedily on solar project of 900 megawatt in Bahawalpur and expressed the hope that 350 megawatt solar energy will be added to national grid by December 2015 whereas 550 megawatt solar energy will be produced by September 2016. He said that Bahawalpur transmission line is also being upgraded in this regard so that the supply system of electricity could be harmonized with electricity production.

Shahbaz Sharif said that 4.5 billion dollar projects will be executed in Punjab through Chinese investment whereas in Sindh, the projects of 9 billion dollars will be set up. He said that all these projects are of Pakistan and also will benefit its 18 crore people. He said that China has helped Pakistan in difficult situation and Allah Almighty has made China a source for us and we are thankful to Him. He expressed his belief that we all have to work day and night jointly.

He expressed the hope that if we will work with honesty, we will change this historic opportunity into the development and prosperity of Pakistan and coming generations will pray for us. He said that such a big opportunity never came in the history earlier.

The Chief Minister said that China has proved practically to be a sincere, trustworthy and true friend of Pakistan. He said that there is no room for laxity and we all have to put the country on the road to progress and development through hard work. He said that no effort will be spared for implementing these agreements for getting written the names in golden words in the history. He said that China is also investing two billion dollars for laying two transmission lines of 4000 megawatt each. One line will be laid from Matiyari to Faisalabad while the second from Matiyari to Lahore.

He said that a historic economic package is a great gift of China for Pakistan and is the start of an excellent journey. He said that if we fully benefitted from this historic economic package, the history of Pakistan will be changed. Shahbaz Sharif said that planning has also been made for generating electricity through gas in Punjab. He said that Punjab government will set up 1200 megawatt gas based energy project from its own resources while Federal Government will also set up 2400 megawatt gas based projects in Punjab.

He said that a 100 megawatt project has been completed at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur and electricity is being provided to national grid. He said that instructions have been issued to concerned departments for planning of establishing a modern industrial estate in Bahawalpur.

The Chief Minister said that agriculture industry and other sectors will progress through setting up of energy projects and lakhs of people will get job opportunities. Mentioning Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme, he said that this programme started with billions of rupees is of great importance for rural economy. He said that the work of widening of all rural roads to 12 feet in Punjab will be completed by 2018 whereas 15 billion rupees have been allocated for this programme during current financial year.

Shahbaz Sharif said that Saaf Pani Project is being started from Bahawalpur and the target has been fixed for providing potable water to every tehsil of Punjab during next three years. Referring to the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project, Shahbaz Sharif said that this is the first and unique project in the history of Pakistan which will change transport culture. He said that this project will be 27 kilometer long and more than two lakh people will benefit from it daily which will be completed within 27 months. He told that Punjab government has saved national resources of 100 billion rupees in this project through negotiations with Chinese companies and such saving of hard earned money of the people is unprecedented in the history of Pakistan.

He said that Punjab government of PML-N has set a glorious and worth-emulating example of saving 100 billion rupees in Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project and Allah Almighty has given us a success. The Chief Minister appreciated the services of his political and administrative team particularly MPA Rana Sanaullah, MD Punjab Metro Bus Authority Sibtain Fazal Haleem, DG LDA Ahad Cheema, Ambassador of Pakistan in China and Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan on saving 100 billion rupees through successful negotiations with Chinese company. During the meeting of Punjab Cabinet, rich tributes were paid to the personal efforts and dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on saving of a huge amount of 100 billion rupees in Orange Line Lahore Metro Train Project.

It was said that Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif by displaying excellent leadership abilities as a team leader has set such an example of saving national resources which is unprecedented in 67 years’ history. Talking about the security of Chinese citizens and law & order situation in the province, Shahbaz Sharif said that a special protection unit has been set up for the security of foreigners and Chinese brethren. He said that foolproof arrangements have been made in this regard and the security plan evolved for this purpose is being implemented. He said that the steps taken in the province under National Action Plan are being implemented effectively and modern technology is being benefited in this regard. He said that the syllabus based on the topics of tolerance, patience, brotherhood, unity and peace is being introduced which will help substantially in eliminating the trends of extremism.

Similarly, essay writing and speech competitions have been arranged as war against terrorism will be fought at every front, he added. The Chief Minister directed that the work of computerization of police stations should further be accelerated and the work should be completed by the end of 2016 throughout the province. Mentioning the steps taken for the uplift of education sector, Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab government has started revolutionary programme of Parho Punjab Barho Punjab, under which, quality of education is being enhanced in schools. He said that a policy of adopting a government school has also been evolved through effective implementation of this programme which will further improve educational standard.

The Chief Minister said that the work of adopting a government school should be carried out with a national spirit and those personalities adopting the school should visit the school compulsorily at least in a month. Shahbaz Sharif appreciated the performance of Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed and Secretary Schools Education. He also directed Provincial Minister for Labour Raja Ashfaq Sarwar and Secretary Labour to submit a comprehensive plan for elimination of child labour on kilns in the next cabinet meeting.

Giving conditional approval to the protection of Women Bill 2015 against violence, the Chief Minister directed that cabinet committee should review this bill within seven days and again submit final bill in the cabinet meeting. Provincial Ministers, Advisors, Special Assistants, Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police and concerned secretaries attended the meeting.

Meanwhile,Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif formally inaugurated wheat harvesting campaign-2015 at village Warah Malik Shah Muhammad Awan adjacent to Lahore, today. The Chief Minister launched wheat harvesting campaign by cutting the crop through a traditional sickle and also harvested wheat by driving harvester. After the inauguration of wheat harvesting campaign, Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif while addressing a gathering of farmers said that due to the blessings of Almighty Allah and hard work of farmers, there is a bumper wheat crop during the current year, upon which, he congratulated them. He also announced to provide ten thousand tractors on concessional rates to small farmers and added that Punjab government will give a subsidy of two lakh rupees per tractor to small farmers and this farmer-friendly programme will be launched from the next financial year. The Chief Minister said that the subsidized tractors will be given to those small farmers having 12.5 acre of land. He said that PML-N government is fully aware of the problems of farmers and Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has taken various steps for their redressal. Shahbaz Sharif said that he himself realizes the problems of farmers and it is our endeavor that farmers should get due return of their hard work. He said that instead of profit, famers have to face loss in some crops and the Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and he himself are aware of the situation very well. That is why, our government, in view of the interest of the farmers fixed sugarcane price at Rs.180 per 40kg whereas in Sindh, the price of sugarcane was reduced from Rs.182 to Rs.155 per 40kg but even then Punjab government did not reduce the sugarcane price from Rs.180 per 40kg for the farmers, he added.  The Chief Minister said that the farmers also benefitted from the reduction in prices of petroleum products at international market and the electricity bills were also reduced which have certainly lessened the problems of farmers. He said that there was a bumper wheat crop in Pakistan this year and Punjab government has fixed wheat procurement target of 40 lakh ton and its price at Rs.1300 per maund.