Chief Minister seeks ADB's help in energy sector

Says the bank can provide assistance keeping in view the utility of Ujala project

LAHORE: The Punjab government and the Asian Development Bank delegation met on Wednesday to review their collaboration in energy, skill development, urban transport, infrastructure, small hydel dams, irrigation, agriculture and education projects.

The delegation was led by ADB Vice President Wencai Zhang who called on Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday. On the occasion, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the ADP was an important partner of the Punjab government in its goal to improve different sectors.



He said the provincial government launched a major initiative of lighting up schools in southern Punjab through solar energy. He assured that thousands of educational institutes would have power through solar energy within 2017.

“ADB’s cooperation in the Ujala Program is valuable and the bank can provide further assistance, keeping in view the utility of the project.” Shehbaz said energy projects had been completed in record time for CPEC in Punjab.



“The 1,320 megawatt Sahiwal Coal Power Plant has been made operational in just 22 months, while 300 megawatts of electricity is being produced in Bahawalpur through solar power.”

He said that government is speedily completing energy projects worth 3,600 megawatts with its own resources. Shehbaz added the federal and Punjab governments had provided resources for these projects and the supply of power has been ensured to overcome load-shedding.

He said that ADB can help to meet this challenge by extending its cooperation to the government in the energy sector. The CM further said metro projects were completed by the government to provide the latest and best quality of transport facilities to the people.

“A large number of people are benefiting from the metro buses plying in Lahore, Multan and in Rawalpindi-Islamabad,” he said.

According to him, a plan has been chalked out to further extend the range of the metro bus service to other major cities. Shehbaz said this was another area in which the ADP could provide assistance.

Meanwhile, rural roads have been constructed at a cost of Rs. 67 billion to strengthen the agricultural economy. Similarly, unique progress has been made on important projects related to health and education.



He said the Punjab government is fully committed to improving the quality of life of people and the cooperation of ADB to develop skilled human resource would be welcomed.

“Around 60% of Pakistan’s population consists of the youth and it is our responsibility to empower this segment by imparting different beneficial skills. “Youth empowerment will help the country excel further,” he added.

ADB Vice Chairman Wencai Zhang said the Punjab government had its priorities straight and his institution was willing to extend further cooperation. Senior officials of the ADB and provincial ministers Malik Nadeem Kamran and Ayesha Ghaus Pasha were present. Also in attendance were the Punjab chief secretary, P&D Chairman, concerned secretaries and other officials.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2017.