Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that Chief Minister Self-Employment Scheme is aimed at promoting self-reliance through utilisation of skills. He said that interest-free loans worth Rs 5.5 billion have so far been distributed under this scheme and 350,000 families have benefited from this programme. He said that further amount of six billion rupees would be given during next five years for the provision of interest free loans and twenty lakh families would benefit.
The Chief Minister said that ratio of repayment of loans under Chief Minister's Self Employment Scheme is hundred percent while huge amount of 300 billion rupees had been gobbled up in the form of loans which were written off on political basis. He said that corrupt system will have to be rooted out in the survival, progress and prosperity of the country. He said such a country cannot be described as a welfare state where influential persons get their loans written off whereas skilled persons are compelled to beg. He said that the obsolete system will have to be changed through collective wisdom and concerted efforts whereas the principle of hard work and honesty will have to be adopted for making Pakistan a welfare state in the real sense.
He expressed these views while addressing a ceremony for the distribution of interest free loans among women under Chief Minister's Self Employment Scheme arranged by Akhuwat organisation at Alhamra Tuesday. Provincial Minister for Industry Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq, Minister for Women Development Hamida Wahid-ud-Din, Vice Chairman Punjab Educational Endowment Fund Dr Amjad Saqib, Secretary Industry and a large number of women were present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister said that he is once again attending such a ceremony which is changing history of the past when talent and hard work were ignored and beggary was promoted. He said that such a culture had taken roots in the country under which the influential persons got their loans written off on political basis and still claimed to be respectable on the basis of their ill-gotten wealth. On the other hand, he said, there were skilled persons who were ignored while banks and financial institutions also turned down their pleas for loans as they had no 'safarish' but he said Chief Minister's Self-Employment Scheme has changed the course of history and 3.5 lakh poor families have been made self-reliant through provision of interest-free loans.
He said that merit, transparency and proper utilisation of national wealth has been ensured in Punjab. He said that even a single penny of provincial exchequer is Haram for him. He said that he has been serving the masses for the last five and a half years with honesty and no one can accuse him of misappropriation of even a single penny. He said that Punjab Educational Endowment Fund is a revolutionary programme of Punjab government which is helping more than 50 thousand poor but talented students study at prestigious educational institutions. He said that poor people have as much right over national resources as the rich. He said that disparity between the poor and the rich is a hurdle in the process of progress and development and equitable distribution of wealth has to be ensured.
Addressing the women, the Chief Minister said that they are half of Pakistan's population and the goal of national progress and prosperity can be achieved by bringing them into national mainstream. He said that women will have to work shoulder to shoulder with men and play their due role in all sectors of life. He said that Pakistan will have to be made a great country through collective efforts. He said that honesty and hard work are needed to change the course of history. Shahbaz Sharif said that the government is working hard under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for resolving energy crisis and bringing the country out of the quagmire of problems.
He said that China is also extending all out help to Pakistan to overcome the shortage of electricity. He said that the promise of overcoming darkness will be fulfilled and Pakistan will be put on the road to progress and development. Shahbaz Sharif said that due to criminal negligence of former rulers, the machinery of Nandipur power project kept rusting at Karachi Port for about three years and now an additional amount of Rs 27 billion of the poor nation will have to be spent on this project. He said that generation of electricity from this project of 550 megawatts will start from next month in a phased manner and Pakistani nation will be rid of darkness.
He said that through collective efforts, Pakistan will be made such a welfare state which could mitigate the problems of the people and provide them basic facilities. The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of Dr Amjad Saqib and his team with regard to self employment scheme and said that the minimum limit of interest free loan be raised from 20 thousand rupees to 40 thousand rupees.
Refereeing to his visit to Sahiwal the Chief Minster said that he went to the house of victim of gang rape in a nearby village of Sahiwal and sympathised with the affected family. He said that police remained ignorant about this tragic incident for about one and a half months as the girl belonged to a poor family. He said that had the victim being a rich person, the culprits would have been behind the bar within one and a half minutes.
Provincial Minister for Industry Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq while addressing the function said that the Chief Minister's Self-Employment Scheme is reflective of love of Shahbaz Sharif with the masses. He said that the Chief Minister Punjab has the interest of the poor people to eliminate poverty and grieved at the suffering of the people. He said that such welfare schemes have been launched by those leaders who are kind hearted.
Chief Executive of Akhuwat Dr Amjad Saqib said that today is a historic day as interest free loans are being given to women under self employment scheme. He said that the system of interest free loan is a silent revolution which will yield its results within next few years. He said that interest free loans will rid Pakistan of the begging bowl. The Chief Minister gave cheques of interest free loans to women at the end of the ceremony.
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