Shahbaz Sharif holds online open court to know the masses problems

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif replied to the questions of citizens through video message while making direct contact with the people on website, Facebook, today.

The Chief Minister vowed that the contacts with the people on Facebook will continue regularly as not only problems are identified through contact on Facebook but also help resolve them.

In reply to a question of Ikram Sajid of Bakhar, Shehbaz Sharif taking notice of the delay of educational activities in girls’ school of Yaroowala, Bakhar has ordered inquiry and added that action will be taken against the persons responsible. He said that educational activities in girls’ school have been started, however, explanation of the concerned officials will be called on the delay caused in this regard.

Replying to a question of Hameed Aslam of Sahiwal, the Chief Minister said that social security institution has to pay full attention to improving its performance and computerized system is being introduced for this purpose. Shehbaz Sharif said that the department has taken immediate notice of your complaint and social security institution has issued a cheque to you in this regard.

In response to a question of Syed Shujaat of Gujrat, the Chief Minister said that the matter for not taking fees from the deserving and less-privileged candidates regarding government jobs will be considered and a committee will be constituted for this purpose. He said that Punjab government has given jobs to lakhs of people in education, health, police and other departments only on merit during last seven years.

He said that Punjab government is ensuring merit in every sector and besides constables, doctors and teachers, jobs have been provided in other sectors as well on merit. He said that the role of private sector in providing jobs is of great importance. He said that industrialization process is accelerated with the promotion of investment and there is more scope of jobs in private sector.

Shehbaz Sharif said that serious efforts are being made for eliminating energy crisis and terrorism. He said that criminal negligence was shown in setting up energy projects in previous tenures. He said that the work carried out for energy projects during the era of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is unprecedented in the country’s history.

The Chief Minister said that thousands of megawatts electricity will be provided with the completion of energy projects in 2017-18. He said that the political dwarfs neither have knowledge of politics nor economy. He said that these elements neither want stability nor development in the country. He said that the negative approach of these dwarf politicians will not be allowed to create hurdles in development journey.

Shehbaz Sharif said that investment will be promoted by setting up energy projects due to which industries will run and production will increase. He said that provision of jobs is also linked with energy projects. He said that besides energy projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Punjab government is also setting up electricity projects through its own resources. He said that implementation is also being made on a big programme of skill development for making youth skillful in Punjab and its scope is being extended to the whole province after south Punjab.

The Chief Minister said that attention is also being paid to making the youth skillful according to market demands through TEVTA and PVTC. He said that target of making 20 lakh youth skillful has been fixed under the policy of increasing growth rate till 2018. He said that the destiny of the country will have been changed in two years.

Replying to a question of a citizen Engineer Aiman of Lodhran, the Chief Minister said that a programme has been started for provision of potable water to the citizens in the province and two water filtration plants are also being set up in your village. He said that funds of billions of rupees have been provided for potable water project and a sum of 15 billion rupees will be spent on this project in 2015-16.

He said that a target has been fixed to provide drinking water in all villages of Punjab till June 2018. He said that a sum of 50 billion rupees will be spent on this project during two and a half years. He said that this project will ensure availability of potable water to four crore people of villages and will help in curbing the diseases spread by polluted water.

Replaying to another question of a citizen Ahmad Nawaz Chattah of Sargodha, the Chief Minister said that a comprehensive programme has been started for the rehabilitation of areas affected by salinity and water logging and a sum of Rs.25 crore will be spent on this project. Replying to a question of a citizen Ahsan of Kabirwala, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has announced historic relief package for the development of agriculture sector and prosperity of cultivators.

He said that a direct benefit of 147 billion rupees has been given to small cultivators through agriculture package. He said that an amount of Rs.5000 per acre will be given to rice and cotton growers having up to 12.5 acres of land. He said that the price of potassium and phosphate fertilizers has been reduced by Rs.500 per bag while the import duty on agriculture implements has been decreased from 43 percent to nine percent.

The Chief Minister said that the agriculture package will be implemented in letter and spirit. Replying to a question of a citizen Aleem Saleem of Lahore and Iftikhar Ahmad of Faisalabad, the Chief Minister said that an inquiry has been ordered on the complaints of non-receipt of allotment letter in Aashiyana scheme and the delay in this regard will not be tolerated. He said that action will be taken against the persons concerned and the complaint in this regard will be immediately resolved.

He said that it will be made a test case. In response to a question of a citizen Haider of Rawalpindi, the Chief Minister said that the first phase of setting up industrial estate over 4000 acres in Faisalabad has been completed and industries are being set up whereas work is in progress in second phase. He said that industrial estate in Multan is being expanded while industrialization process is continuing in the industrial estate of Rahim Yar Khan.

He said that land has also been acquired with a sum of Rs.3.5 billion for the project of Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park near motorway. He said that garments zone will also be set up under this project which will create thousands of job opportunities. However, he said, electricity is essential for industrial estate, therefore, work is being carried out speedily on coal power plant of 1320 megawatt in Sahiwal under CPEC. He said that this project will start generating electricity in 2017.

He said that work is also in progress with Chinese investment in solar project at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur. He said that gas-based energy projects are being set up in Punjab and load-shedding will be controlled to a large extent by the end of 2017. He said that a large number of job opportunities will be created and the pace of development will accelerate. He said that all out resources are being utilized for development and prosperity of the masses. He said that some political dwarfs do not want stability in the country or energy projects.

He said that the people are fully aware of negative designs of those who are again trying to stage sit-ins. He said that 18 crore people of the country will not support those who are trying to again plunge the country into darkness.

The Chief Minister said that every penny of public money will be utilized honestly and the day is not far when Pakistan will emerge as a developed and prosperous country.