File photo of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: FILE
Speaking at a laptops-distribution ceremony at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Wednesday, he vowed to, “start Metro Bus projects in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi if people support and vote for PML-N and bring it to power in general elections 2013”.
He also said that the country is experiencing its "worst ever" situation of darkness.
“If we come into power, I would change the darkness of the country into light. The people can change my name if I fail to do so,” he said. “If the people of Pakistan will vote for PML-N in general elections 2013, the destiny of the country would be changed and Pakistan will get its due status at a global level.”
Commenting on the laptops and solar lamps project, Shahbaz said that only a literate generation can drag the country out of the prevalent crisis. He claimed that the Punjab government realised this and started the distribution of laptops and solar lamps in order to encourage talented students.”
The Punjab Chief Minister added that industrial and agriculture sectors of the country have been badly damaged due to shortage of electricity, which has destabilised the national economy.
“210,000 solar units have been distributed throughout the Punjab which would help in dragging the country out of darkness,” Sharif said.
Talking about the Metro Bus Service, the CM said that “Metro Bus service has changed the lifestyle of the poor. About 125,000 people are benefiting from this project on a daily basis”.
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@WAJID: I oppose PMLN on other grounds but this seems a good use of resources. You may carp that there are other equally valid or more needed projects but this is also beneficial to Punjab. Subsidy by public money is always spent on such transport infrastructure by governments everywhere. The returns are in increased productivity.
Total people that can travel / day (Maximum) = 112,500 Fare = 20Rs Fare collected each day (112500 x 20Rs) = 2,250,000
Cost/KM to be paid to Albarak = 360 Per Bus Per Day Expense (360Rs x 27km) = 9,720 For Ten Trips per bus per day (9720 x 10) = 97,200 For Ten Trips for 45 buses (97200 x 45) = 4,374,000
Daily subsidy to sustain (4374000-2250000) =2,124,000
Total Subsidy Paid (4374000Rs x 28days)= 122,472,000 Cost Recovered through Fare (20Rs18Days112500) = 38,232,000 Total Cost for first month of MBS = 84,240,000
To sum it up, Punjab government had to "pay 84.2 Million Rupees in subsidy" ...
@sacha bucha are they running a restaurant that they are looking for return for investment? It is a government facility just as running a government school or hospital aim is not to make huge profits. Surely it is worth an investment take for instance time savings, fuel savings, environmental benefits in monetary terms apart from profits through ticketing, advertising etc.
Lets look at this way, Who among all ruling parties, or the parties that have ruled in the past including military rule, has conducted projects like this for the past 20-30 years? Motorway, Metro Bus, Laptop etc whatever it is and no matter how much corruption was involved, a part of the nation benefited from it.Compare PMLN to PPP, MQM, ANP, JUI, JI etc and you will find that this is the least worst party among all, excluding PTI. Now my questions is, Why off all the other parties does PTI criticize PMLN. BTW my vote is still for PTI.
@A-no-1 they are now being used as college buses so they are being used for a good cause.
Can SS get somebody to audit the viability to run this project as well? How much subsidy future Punjab Govts will have to give to run it?
@Yasir Mehmood yes important, but do you think the return on investment is there. A budget which is more than educational budget is spent on 20KM road.
"Shahbaz said that only a literate generation can drag the country out of the prevalent crisis. He claimed that the Punjab government realised this and started the distribution of laptops"
Super LOL. I mean seriously? A literate generation could have been achieved if you actually spent the money on building schools, curriculum, teachers fund, scholarships, etc! I get it laptops mean instant connectivity, but if you really wanted to eradicate literacy, you should have spent the millions on educational policies instead.
This country needs sane and young leaders, who at least make sensible decisions.
No one doubts the utility of an efficient mass transit system. We all know that the Punjab is the only developing province in Pakistan and much of the credit goes to Shahbaz Sharif. Think about it, over 100, 000 people daily using this service already and not clogging up the roads!
@falcon public transportation is impotant too at least money was thrown for betterment of odinary person's life.
@Falcon, those projects does not provide marketing. If our leaders start thinking on those critical issue we would had a different Pakistan by now. They only concentrate on projects which will be highlighted in media and they will earn vote against it.
@Imran:
Bhaijan distributing laptops will not drag the country any where near development...there is some thing known as cost and benefit sheet and calculation. This is not done by PML N because most of the project are a show off including laptop and Metro Bus..... On the other hand I seriously appreicate motorway Project but the rest are not useful at all.....
Ittehad steel is the largest steel industry in Pakistan and the owners pay less INCOME TAX than a 15 grade government employee...and you think this will change Pakistan...
Completely agreed with Falcon
@Imran: I don't think many people have questioned the corruption of the project. What they are asking instead is whether the project's return on investment is worth it? The same amount of money if spent on energy sector or education or health would have provided much better results. We are a resource starved country, we can not go around throwing money on low priority projects like this.
We desperately need a bus service system in Pindi!
there is a slap here somewhere on critics of PML(N), hassan Nisar, Mubashar Luqman, PML(Q), PTI, PPP... All of you are reading this news? or not?
What about the one hundred Daewoo busses that were purchased for the MBS and then found to be unuseable for the MBS. That loss should be quantified.