Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has asked the Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry to prepare a feasibility report on alternative means to run the auto-rickshaws and motor bikes to minimise air-pollution and getting rid of the costly fuel.
This first meeting was held here on Saturday under the chairmanship of former president of MCCI Mughis A Sheikh, which was attended by Muhammad Iqbal Qidwai, Smeda General Manager, provincial chief Alamgir Chaudhry, and Regional Business co-ordinator Aleena Fayyaz Durrani.
Stakeholders shared their experiences and proposals about the battery motor bikes and rickshaws in rural as well as urban areas. They discussed all aspects and pros and cons of this scheme. Qidwai said that Prime Minister was taking special interest in the development of southern Punjab to bring this area at par with other cities. A number of textile projects, juices and mango pulp plants and blue pottery promotion projects were being executed to alleviate the miseries of the masses of this zone and uplifting their living standard.
Mughis said that motorised rickshaws and motor cycles would help in minimising the oil import bill besides helping in providing pollution-free atmosphere. However battery manufacturers would have to improve the quality and standard of their products besides reducing the cost to attract the users. Engineering committee of MCCI incharge Shamshad Jafari and president of Sahiwal Chamber Zahid Chaudhry said that the government should patronise batterised motor bikes and rickshaws industry and should grant them incentives.
They said that there was acute shortage of mechanics and experts of four-stroke rickshaws. The government should establish training centres to produce skilled persons so that 4-stroke rickshaws could be run successfully. The meeting was also attended by Muhammad Usman, Mazhar Qayyum, Khurram Javed, Sajjad Joiya, Adnan Shaukat, Ehsan Elahi, Amanullah, Shehzad Anwar, Zahoor Ahmed, Ata-ur-Rehman, Umar Shehzad and Muhammad Younas.