Reaching out: Chief minister dispatches cash assistance for IDPs

Presides over MoU signing between the Punjab govt, Chinese company .

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said helping those displaced by the operation in North Waziristan was a national obligation.

He said the Punjab government had distributed cash among over 28,000 displaced families.

He said a transparent donation system had been set up by the government.

He was addressing a meeting to review measures taken for rehabilitation of displaced families from North Waziristan and talking to donors of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Bilal Yasin, Muhammad Shafique, CM’s adviser Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan, provincial assembly members Pervaiz Malik, Manshaullah Butt, Ghulam Farid, Saood Majeed, the Punjab chief secretary and Board of Revenue members were also present.

The chief minister said provision of financial assistance to affected families would be completed in three days. He said fund raising campaigns for IDPs should be advertised.

The chief minister said distribution of cash among displaced families could be verified online.

He said the Punjab government had evolved a programme to exchange Eid greetings with displaced families. He said Eid gifts would also be distributed.

The chief minister said overseas Pakistanis could help raise funds for the IDPs and urged them to get in touch with the government in this regard.

The chief minister was presented Rs80 million cheque for the relief fund by various philanthropists.

MoU singed between govt and Chinese company

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Punjab government and a Chinese company, Zonergy, on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest on the occasion.

Under the agreement, the Chinese company would set up a 900 megawatt solar project at Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park in 21 months.

Another 500 megawatt solar energy project would be completed in 15 months and a 400 megawatt solar project in six months.

Energy Additional Chief Secretary Jehanzeb Khan and president of the Chinese company Yu Yong signed the document.

Speaking on the occasion, Sharif welcomed the agreement.

He said Pakistan was going through a terrible energy crisis and it had halted trade and caused unemployment.

Sharif said the government was taking various measures to cope with electricity shortage. He said the agreement signed with the Chinese company for the solar power project would help reduce load shedding.

He said cooperation between Pakistan and China was vital for economic development in both countries.

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