Public welfare: ‘Corridors identified for wind power generation’

Shahbaz says experts’ report on Rajoa reserves is expected soon .

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday authentication of mineral resources in Rajoa, Chiniot, was a great blessing for Pakistan.

Quoting experts, he told Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) office-bearers that iron ore and copper reserves in the area were spread over 2,000 square kilometres. He said Chinese and German experts would soon submit a final report in this regard.

“The country’s fate can be changed by utilising these reserves,” he said. He said identification of wind corridors to produce power was another great news. He said completing development projects with transparency, quality and speed was the government’s priority.

“There have been no allegations of corruption against the government.”

Sharif said the national economy had suffered due to last year’s agitation. He said various development projects, to be pursued with help from China, had been delayed due to the sit-ins and protest demonstrations. “Those who had resorted to agitation did not do any good to the nation. The sit-ins have damaged the country’s image worldwide,” the chief minister said.

He said the organisers of the sit-ins had levelled numerous false allegations against the government. The agitation had multiplied the miseries of common man, he said.

Sharif said a Danish company had identified several wind corridors across the province that could help produce wind power. He said the provincial government had launched landmark project to produce 100 megawatts of solar power at the Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park, Bahawalpur.

The chief minister said that by 2017 all tehsils in the province would have access to potable water under the Saaf Pani Project. He said hard work, trust and honesty were needed to make Pakistan a prosperous country. He said terrorism, corruption and nepotism had harmed the country.

Sharif said that under the Khadim-i-Punjab Rural Roads Programme, Rs15 billion would be spent this year on the construction and improvement of roads in rural areas. More money would be allocated for the project next year, he said.

‘Teachers’ attendance stands at 92%’

Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) Chairman Qamarul Islam Raja said on Friday that the Chief Minister’s Education Roadmap Programme was the largest government initiative for promotion of education at the grassroots.

He was speaking at a ceremony organised to launch the second phase of the programme in Rawalpindi. Raja said the initiative would ensure that no child was left unattended for want of resources. Raja said promotion of education had always been a priority of the government. He said teachers’ attendance now stood at 92 per cent due to the efforts of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Raja said this was among the best according to global standards. He said the government had distributed 12.5 million free books among students.

“State-of-the-art computer labs have been established in 5,700 schools across the Punjab.

This will enable students to have access to latest knowledge resources at their fingertips through the internet,” Raja said.  Commissioner Zahid Saeed, DCO Sajid Zafar Dall and Education EDO Qazi Zahoorul Haq were also present on the occasion.PR

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2015.