Canal project loan accord in doldrums
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has warned that the Greater Thal Canal project loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will expire if it is not signed this month.
The cut-off date to sign the agreement for the project approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) is December 31, the chief minister highlighted in a statement issued on Friday.
He regretted that there had been no progress I this regard on the part of the federal government.
CM Pervaiz Elahi accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of enmity with Punjab and resorting to oppressing farmers of the province for the sake of his allies.
The chief minister said Punjab had removed the objections of Sindh in an ECNEC meeting with the help of relevant data and figures.
Meanwhile, the repair and maintenance of the first phase of the Greater Thal Canal is also required to add more water for irrigating 600,000 acres of land. “The Greater Thal Canal will only have water from the Punjab’s part and not from any other province. Otherwise, this water goes into the sea,” he commented.
The chief minister said water had been allocated for the Greater Thal Canal in a consentaneous water agreement of 1991.
The Kachhi and Rainee canal projects had already been completed for Balochistan and Sindh under the agreement, he mentioned and added that the Chashma Right Bank Canal project had also been approved for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
However, obstacles were being created in the completion of the Greater Thal Canal, he deplored.
The chief minister explained that the PTI-led government had restored the Greater Thal Canal project and arranged funds for the purpose. The vital project had been in cold storage since 2007, he added.
The loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank had yet to be signed and it would lapse if not signed by December 31, he said.
Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said the ECNEC had taken up plans for flood rehabilitation in all other provinces but none for Punjab. Punjab had also not been given any funds by the federation for the flood victims, he added.
Anti-corruption awareness
Addressing a ceremony in connection with the International Anti-Corruption Day, Chief Minister Pervaizz Elahi said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chirman Imran Khan had inculcated so much awareness among the people that no corrupt leader would survive in the political arena.
He said the Sharif family had bene ruling for the past 30 years but only thought about its own wellbeing. “They claim that they did not indulge in corruption of even a single penny but even their own people talk about their massive corruption,” he said, adding that he had remained with the family for 15 years and knew it well.
“If one has strong faith then he cannot think about doing corruption and the need for establishing anti- corruption institutions does not arise,” he added.
The CM maintained that the anti-corruption laws had become obsolete and they needed to be reviewed.
He said the Punjab government would offer full assistance in order to improve thee laws. Wherever the need arises, legislation will be done and shortcomings will be overcome. If needed, then consultation with the judiciary will also be done.
He announced that Punjab government would increase the salaries of the department’s officials.
The chief minister also led a walk organised to mark the day at the Alhamra Art Centre.
Provincial Anti- Corruption Adviser Brigadier (retd) Masadiq Abassi also addressed the ceremony.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2022.