EXIM Bank of China has released first instalment of loan for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project (LOMTP) and has transferred a sum of Rs 5.5 billion into the account CR-NORINCO, the Chinese contractor of the Mechanical and Technical side of the project.
Kh. Ahmad Hassan, chairman of the steering committee, constituted by the Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for LOMTP, claimed this while chairing a meeting on Wednesday to review the ongoing progress on the project. He further said that on its inauguration, the train will provide a safe, efficient and economic mode of transport initially to 300,000 passengers daily through the densely populated and busy commercial areas of the provincial metropolis and the ridership will increase to 500,000 daily within next three years.
It was told that civil work was being executed as per the fixed timelines and so far about 30 per cent of the civil work of the project has been completed. Engineering experts from China Engineering Consultants as well as CR-NORINC had arrived in Lahore for monitoring the quality and quantity of ongoing work in order to ensure its completion as per international standards.
Kh. Ahmad Hassan directed the representatives of several of utility services departments for chalking out and implementing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for shifting of services, especially of sensitive institutions like hospitals and schools. He urged them for utilising alternate sources for ensuring un-interrupted supply of electricity, water, Sui gas and other such services, for avoiding inconvenience to the patients, students and general public at these places.