For the people: No progress sans greater capacity in govt depts says CM

Chief minister says metro train project will be completed on time.

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday said the capacity building of government institutions was imperative to provide better services to people.

“Reforms are being introduced in government departments to serve the citizens in the best possible manner,” he told a meeting on public sector management reforms.

Provincial ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmad and Tanvir Aslam Malik, Punjab Assembly member Ayesha Ghaus Pasha and Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Azmul Haq attended.

Sharif said an effective and vibrant working system was essential to serve the people better. He said all departments should evolve a target plan for the next four years to achieve this goal. The chief minister said devolution of power would help ensure good governance.

He said the introduction of an accountability system in government institutions was needed to promote transparency in the system.

Earlier, the Lahore commissioner and Lahore Development Authority director general briefed the participants on public sector management reforms.

Separately, Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Adriano Chiodi Cianfarani met Sharif and discussed matters of mutual interest, including cooperation in the energy sector.

The ambassador congratulated the chief minister for reaching an agreement on introducing metro train in Lahore. He said the service was the government’s gift to the people. He said Italy was willing to help Pakistan overcome the electricity shortages.

The chief minister called for more exchanges of trade delegations between Pakistan and Italy. He said work Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park would be completed by the year’s end and would start contributing to the national grid.

He said the metro train would be an historic gift from China. He said the project would be completed on time and in a transparent manner. High standards of quality would be achieved in executing the project, he said.

Separately, the chief minister praised the team that had contributed to the work on the train project. The team included provincial ministers, Chief Secretary Navid Akram Cheema, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Tauqir Shah, Higher Education Secretary Abdullah Sumbal and Lahore Development Authority Director General Ahad Cheema.

Sharif said it was due to efforts of these people that Lahore would have the country’s first metro train. He said the project would bring about a revolution in the transport sector.

He called the scheme his dream and said the train would be in service within 27 months.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2014.