Public transport: Cabinet approves three metro bus projects

Foundation stone for the Rawalpindi-Islamabad project to be laid on Feb 28.

LAHORE:

A meeting of the Punjab cabinet on Saturday approved a metro bus project each for Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi-Islamabad.

The meeting decided that the foundation stone of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro bus project will be laid on February 28. The metro bus projects in Multan and Faisalabad would be initiated at the end of 2014.

The meeting also decided to complete computerization of land records under the Punjab Land Record Management Information System by December 2014.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Ministers, advisors, special assistants, the chief secretary, the inspector general of police, secretaries and senior officials were also present.



Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the Rawalpindi-Islamabad project would be completed in 11 months. He said those in Multan and Faisalabad would be finished in 10 months.

He said the metro bus projects in Multan and Faisalabad would be constructed on the pattern of metro system of Dubai.

He said the Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro bus project would start from Flashman Hotel and go up to the Federal Secretariat. He said 8.6 kilometres of the metro bus in Rawalpindi would be elevated while 14.6 kilometres in Islamabad would be at ground-level.

He said the projects was estimate to cost around Rs38 billion. He said the project would cater to over 150,000 people. He said 60 metro buses would run in Rawalpindi-Islamabad.

He said traffic authorities would be directed to make diversion plans to avoid inconveniencing commuters while the metro bus route was being constructed.

He formed a committee to supervise the land acquisition process and appointed the Punjab chief secretary as its chairman.

Computerisation of land records

The chief minister said computerisation of land records under the Land Record Management Information System (LRMIS) would be completed in 24 districts by June. He said the remaining would be completed by December. He said the system would provide ownership deeds to citizens in 50 minutes.

He said an independent evaluation system for the land record computerisation project would be set up and said that it would improve the efficiency of LRMIS.

He said Rs 14 billion was being spent on land record computerisation.

He said the government was also looking at the option of computerisation of police records.

Energy crisis

Sharif said the government had devised a programme for generation of electricity from coal. He said six sites had been selected for installation of coal-powered electricity plants.

He said local and foreign investors would be given special incentives to set up coal power plants.

He said the government would set up two coal-based power plants of 660 megawatt each in Sahiwal. He said the Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park was being set up over 10,000 acres in Bahawalpur where the government would establish a 100-megawatt solar plant with its own resources. He said its feasibility report had been prepared. He said the project would be completed this year.

He said that work has started on Nandipur power project. He said its first turbine will become operational in May and generate up to 150 megawatt electricity.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2014.