LAHORE: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Farrukh Habib Monday said that last PML-N government led by Shehbaz Sharif had committed massive corruption in the then Punjab Saaf Pani Company (now Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority-PbAPA).
Briefing media persons here, he disclosed that last PML-N government had installed 116 water filtration plants under its Punjab Saaf Pani Company with exorbitant cost of Rs 7.5 billion which means Rs 65 million cost per plant, while PTI government was installing water filtration plants under Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority at a cost of Rs 3 million only, and so far a total of Rs 4 billion had been spent on water filtration plants.
“This is the difference between PTI and PML-N way of governance, and a true change (Tabdili) as every project is being executed transparently and on merit by the present government. The way of thinking and vision of PTI leadership is only and only ensuring better public service delivery and equitable utilization of public exchequer,” he added.
Farrukh Habib further said that one could better understand standards and merits of PML-N government from the fact that N-League leadership had preferred to establish Punjab Saaf Pani Company office in a plaza owned by relatives of Shehbaz Sharif then Chief Minister of Punjab.
He mentioned that Prime Minister Imran Khan had entrusted the Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar to look after the affairs of Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority and the Governor was performing his responsibility with dedication and efficiently by spending each penny of the people with austerity and transparently.
The PTI government would install around 1500 clean drinking water filtration plants under PbAPA in 36 districts of Punjab by this year end, he said and added that on the directive of Prime Minister, PC-I of 177 drinking water projects (Aab-Pak Markaz) for 1,000 villages had been completed and was in its approval stage.
Farrukh Habib said that Aab-Pak Markaz projects would be initiated in the second phase early 2022, asserting that projects aimed at providing safe and clean drinking water to those south Punjab areas and Faisalabad where ground water was brackish or of bitter taste.
He said that provision of clean and safe drinking water to the people had not only helped substantially elimination of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, hepatitis and typhoid etc but also reduced the load on hospitals.
Similarly, Prime Minister Imran Khan had also directed the Punjab government to hand over the existing water filtration plants, installed by Public Health Department, local administrations, districts municipal corporations or Tehsil municipal committees, to the PbAPA for their maintenance and operations, said the Minister of State.
Contrary to the hollow slogans of public service and showy projects of the PML-N regime, he said, the PTI government had since its inception been making every effort to provide maximum civic and other facilities to the common man at their doorstep.