Punjab

Development: Metro train to change public transport culture, says Shahbaz

CM chairs meeting to review ongoing development projects

Our Correspondent April 16, 2016

CM chairing a meeting to review ongoing development projects. PHOTO: NNI

LAHORE:

The Orange Line Metro Train Project will change the transport culture in the province, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday.

He was presiding over a meeting to review ongoing development projects in the province. “Provision of modern and speedy transport facilities to the people is the top priority of the government,” he said.

He said that maintaining standards and transparency in all development projects was the government’s policy. “Timely completion of development projects is being ensured. Special attention is being paid to the development of backward areas,” he said.

The CM said that people had greatly benefited from mega development projects that had been completed in the province. “Work is being carried out speedily on public welfare projects costing billions of rupees in education and health sectors. Projects such as the Daanish School, the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund and free laptops have had a positive impact on education sector,” he said.

The chief minister said that the funds saved through austerity and economic discipline were being spent on the welfare of people. “Resources of the nation are being spent on projects aimed at minimising the gulf between the rich and the poor. It is the responsibility of government departments to ensure timely completion of development schemes. A third-party audit policy is being carried out for ensuring transparency in development projects,” he said.

Ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Adviser on Economic Affairs Dr Ejaz Nabi, the chief secretary and the Planning and Development Board chairman attended the meeting.

Federal ministers meet CM

Federal Ministers Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Balouch and Rana Tanvir Hussain separately called on the chief minister on Saturday.

“Work is being carried out speedily on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects. The CPEC will prove to be a game-changer for Pakistan. The destiny of the country will change with the completion of these projects,” the CM said.

The chief minister said that undue criticism of public welfare projects amounted to opposition to the development and prosperity of the people.

“There is no room for terrorism, extremism and sectarianism in Pakistan. Setting up of a society based on tolerance, harmony and brotherhood is the mission of the government,” the CM said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2016.

COMMENTS (3)

ishrat salim | 7 years ago | Reply @Maria: The money being paid as subsidy for these metros comes from additional taxes which we all from all provinces pay. These metros has not brought anychange in the lives of the poor people rather poverty level & the gap between the rich & poor has widened / increased as per your Mr Dar in the Parliament. The govt of Punjab has an debt of Rs 580 billion & adding up, just for these projects, while money from education & health sector has been diverted for the metros & orange, is this called priorities ? If your cardiology center was good, Mr NS could have got his cardiac problem checked up there or Army Cardiac Center, the best in the country, why travelled to London ? NS kids got money from sky ? That money for doing business or transferred to offshore account must have been sent to them, from where ? was tax paid before being sent & how was it sent. These are the pertinent question being asked by the public. PM Cameron was not involved directly but he had the courage to accept that his late father had an offshore account & that he received UK Pds 30,000.00 as benefit & that he paid tax on that amount, yet his party members & opposition members are demanding his resignation because of concealment of this information. Chinese premier is not also involved directly & he is not an democratically elected PM, so do Putin. Why do you forget to mention PM of Iceland, whose wife had an ofshore account & yet he resigned, PM of Ukrain resigned, Spanish minister resigned etc; these people resigned on moral ground, but yes! our leaders do not have moral values nor culture because they have support of people like you who partronise them & their illegal actions.

Maria | 8 years ago | Reply @ishrat salim: I live in Rawalpindi and I can tell you that the Metrobus has made our lives easier. There has been better health care particularly in the field of cardiology. There is always room for improvement but relatives come to Rawalpindi from Peshawar for health care which should give you an idea why Punjab remains the most stable and developing province in Pakistan. This is largely due to the work of Shahbaz Sharif. Things are not perfect and there is a lot of work to do but no one disputes how Shahbaz Sharif works hard for the province. Development has taken place in many cities under Punjab by Shahbaz Sharif whether Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala or Lahore so your comment is not fair. As for Panama leaks, I would prefer having the PM's kids with accounts and still have stability and development than to have what other provincial governments have given which is nothing. Nawaz Sharif is an industrialist who is supposedly rich from 1980s. Just because his kids have 10 million in account in Panama does not prove corruption. Yes they should bring it to Pakistan to invest but it does not prove corruption since it is not illegal to have money in tax haven until we change the law. PM Cameron of UK, Chinese Premier or Vladimir Putin have not been made to step down since there is no proof of illegal funds or just storing money abroad.

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