The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PPDWP) approved three development schemes of health and energy sectors with an estimated cost of Rs 1039.477 million. These schemes were approved in the 37th meeting of PPDWP of current fiscal year 2016-17 presided over by the Punjab Chairman P&D Board Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan. Provincial Secretary P&D Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, members of the Planning & Development Board, provincial secretaries concerned and other senior representatives of the relevant departments also attended the meeting.
P&DD spokesman said on Friday that the approved development schemes included: establishment of Punjab Institute of Neurosciences Phase-III, Lahore General Hospital at the cost of Rs 1000.067 million, hiring of consultant for due diligence & feasibility study for development of 3.58MW UCC hydropower project on upper Chenab canal (UCC) at RD 133+296 district Sialkot Punjab and adaption/preparation of request of proposal (RFP) (PC-II) at the cost of Rs 19.705 million and hiring of consultant for due diligence & updation of feasibility study for development of 4.16MW Okara hydropower project on Lower Bari Doab canal at RD 199+000 district Okara and adaption/preparation of request of proposal (RFP) (PC-II) at the cost of Rs 19.705 million.
In order to address energy crisis, the Punjab government has not only initiated energy projects from its own sources but also focusing on providing an enabling environment to attract private sector investment in energy sector, sources said. The major energy projects currently ongoing in Punjab include: 1180MW Bhikhi Power Plant at Sheikhupura, 1223MW Baloki Power Plant in Kasur, 1320MW Qadirabad Power Plant at Sahiwal and 1230MW Haveli Bahdur Shah Plant at Jhang. The government also achieved a major breakthrough in renewable energy sector when 100MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Plant was commissioned in July 2015. This has invited private sector for investment in renewable energy and keeping in view the potential of investment, the government has embarked upon the policy of divestment of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Plant.
The sources said the Punjab government is working along with the federal government within the constitutional framework to deal with the crises. Our priorities are to invest public money optimally to increase the generation capacity, enable and facilitate the private sector to invest in this area, promote the energy conservation culture so that the electricity is provided to all consumers including domestic, industrial and commercial users at the best affordable rates.
In conjugation to federal efforts to bridge the current shortfall of electricity and to support tremendously growing future demand, the Punjab government has taken multiple initiatives both in public and private sectors to promote and strengthen power industry in the province, the sources said, adding: "We are on a path to make Punjab an energy secured area."
Regarding health sector, the sources said, an amount of Rs 207.3 billion has been allocated during FY 2016-17. In primary and secondary healthcare sector, the focus is on revamping of all district headquarter hospitals and 15 major tehsil headquarter hospital in Punjab. On the specialised healthcare side, in addition to provision of state of the art medical facilities in tertiary care hospitals, a major initiative is that of Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute Lahore. In addition, the government has also initiated a comprehensive project of clean drinking water with an allocation of Rs 30 billion for the current financial year.