Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that new energy projects would be completed in next two months and 5000 megawatt additional electricity will be included in national grid. "Additional 660 megawatt electricity will be gained from Sahiwal Coal Power Project from June 10," Shehbaz said while talking to members of the parliament from Gujranwala division, here on Wednesday.
During the meeting, different development projects and public welfare oriented initiatives including ongoing schemes aiming at improvement in education, healthcare and social development as well as budgetary priorities for the upcoming fiscal year (2017-18) came under discussion.
Addressing the legislators, Shehbaz said that past governments made graveyards of projects and plundered the national resources mercilessly, while many of their projects succumbed to corruption and lust. He said that past regimes were full of plunder, criminal negligence and corruption whereas Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz government has built beacons of transparency and speed.
He said that 3600 megawatt gas-based power projects are also being completed in a record period of time. About 717 megawatt electricity is being produced from Bhikki Gas Power Project, and this project has also been completed in a record period of time, while other gas-based power projects will also be completed before time. He added that 400 megawatt solar electricity is being produced from Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur and work is being continued on 300 megawatt solar energy projects, adding that these projects will start producing electricity at the end of this year.
He said that decrease in fertiliser prices and provision of interest-free loans have benefited the small farmers and helped in sufficient increase in the agricultural products. He announced that Punjab government will announce solid steps for the welfare of the farmers in the upcoming budget and told that carpeted roads have been constructed with an amount of Rs 60 billion to provide facilities to the rural population under Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme.
While talking about the steps with regard to improvement in healthcare facilities, he said that tremendous efforts have been made in this regard; and now, we are moving in the right direction speedily. He said that promises made with the people are fulfilled and the leadership would come up to the expectations of the people. The performance and transparency will win in 2018 elections, he added. Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, Provincial Ministers Mansha Ullah Butt, Hameeda Wahid uddin, members of the assembly from Gujranwala Division, administrative and Police officers, were also present on the occasion.