LAHORE - A high-level meeting was held here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to review the pace of low-cost housing project. The meeting was attended by Chairman Planning & Development, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Secretary Housing and Advisory Council, Chairman and Members of Punjab Land Development Company and other concerned officers. The chief minister said provision of shelter to homeless people was the priority of present government and low-cost housing schemes were being started for low income people of the province. He said this project would materialise the dream of poor and low income people of having their own home. He said Punjab Land Development Company had been established for practical implementation of low-cost housing schemes. He said quota would be allocated for widows, orphans and disabled persons in this scheme. He said under this scheme houses would be allotted through balloting in a highly transparent manner. The CM directed like other countries and major cities multi-storey buildings should also be constructed in these schemes. He further directed that the process of selection of suitable sites and land for low-cost housing scheme in Lahore as well as other areas of the province should be completed expeditiously and report in this regard should be submitted to him within one or two days. He said provision of basic facilities should also be ensured in these schemes. Earlier, the chief minister was briefed about the progress on low housing schemes project. Punjab gets Rs10b Net Hydel Profit Provincial Minister for Finance, Planning & Development Tanvir Ashraf Kaira has said that federation has so far paid Rsl0 billion as royalty of Net Hydel Profit (NHP) to the Punjab in two instalments and the next instalment of Rs3 billion would be released to Punjab government during the current year. Talking to a delegation of members of Punjab Assembly at his office, the minister said Punjab government has adopted the firm stance regarding the outstanding dues on Net Hydel Profit, which was accepted by the federal government. He said Net Hydel Profit is the constitutional right of the people of Punjab. He further said the federation would pay Rs28 billion to Punjab under the head of Net Hydel Profit and the amount will be paid within four years. He said the first two instalments of Rs5 billion each have been paid to Punjab and the next instalment of Rs3 billion would be paid to Punjab during this year. The minister said since 1996 Punjab had been deprived of its legal right of Net Hydel Profit, however, present government evolved an effective strategy and succeeded in getting approval of its demand from the federation.