Efforts being made to end power outages: CM

PML-N lawmakers call on Shahbaz Sharif

LAHORE: The government is working on war-footing to overcome the energy crisis, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Sunday.

He was talking to a delegation of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, work is being carried out expeditiously on power projects,” he said.

He said that the government was making serious efforts for coping with the energy crisis. “Besides traditional methods of power generation, alternative sources are also being used to produce electricity. The government’s policy of giving incentives to local and foreign investors in energy sector has attracted investment in the power sector,” he said. The chief minister said that sincere efforts were being made for overcoming energy crisis. “Electricity is essential for industrialisation, promotion of trade and business activities and development of the agriculture sector,” he said.

He said that the government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was carrying out a number of small hydel, coal, solar and gas-based power projects in the province.

He said that work was in progress on a 1,320 megawatts coal-based project in Sahiwal. “The project will start producing in 2017. Powerhouses based on gas are also being established in the Punjab. A 1,200MW gas-based powerhouse is being set up by Punjab government with its own resources. The federal government will establish two powerhouses of 1,200MW capacity each,” he said.



“Several energy projects will be completed by 2017 and their production will be added to the national grid. The energy crisis will be resolved to a large extent,” he said.

He said that overcoming electricity shortage was a priority of the PML-N government. “The Punjab government has introduced a culture of transparency, standard and speed implementation of development projects. Energy projects are also being completed under the policy,” he said. The chief minister said that the PML-N believed in selfless service to the people.

The assembly members expressed confidence in the PML-N leadership, saying that they hoped efforts to end the energy crisis would succeed. They paid tribute to the chief minister, saying that they were proud of the way he had devoted himself to the welfare of the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2015.