LAHORE Provincial Minister for Finance and Planning & Development Tanvir Ashraf Kaira has said that the government is paying full attention to develop the alternative fuels such as ethanol and bio-diesel to overcome the energy crisis in the country because it is the need of hour to explore new and alternate energy resources on war footings. While talking to a group of journalists at his office, the Minister said that the world was moving fast towards new fuel technologies and Pakistan could not afford to lag behind. He said that indigenously produced ethanol and bio-diesel could help in achieving import substitution. The Minister said that the ethanol is environmental friendly and the government is making sincere efforts to develop alternate fuel which would be very helpful for industrial progress as well. He said that ethanol was being mixed in different proportion in motor gasoline in many countries. He said that alternate energy resources would also helpful for industrial and commercial sectors. The Minister said that energy conservation should be adopted at highest level and the whole nation should also support the government in energy conservation campaign. The Minister hoped that national energy conference would take concrete measures to resolve the energy crises in the country. Painting competition A painting competition in connection of Earth Day celebrations was held at Childrens Library complex here on Wednesday. The competition was jointly organised by Environment Protection Department (EPD) and Childrens Library Complex. The children of different schools displayed their paintings on the eve with the idea to develop understanding and a sense of responsibility about environment issues. EPD Director General Dr Shagufta Shahjahan inaugurating the exhibition said the objective of the activity was to educate the children and youth about environment pollution. She said pollution control and habit of recycling the waste material through art was an idea of competition. Peoples SAARC conference OUR STAFF REPORTER LAHORE - As many as 60 social and political activists from Pakistan have left for New Delhi, India to attend the Peoples SAARC conference at Jawahar Lal Nehru University Delhi which is starting from Thursday (today). Union of South Asian Peoples is organising Peoples SAARC Assembly from SAARC countries. The participants will urge the media of entire South Asian Countries to play their positive role to bring the neighbouring countries together. delegation A delegation of the Government College University Lahore Majlas-e-Iqbal has visited the mausoleum of Allama Mu-hammad Iqbal on the occasion of his 72nd death anniversary. The delegation comprising a large number of GCU teachers and students laid a floral wreath at Mazar-e-Iqbal and paid tribute to the services of the great poet for Muslims. It is pertinent to mention here that GCU Lahore has been the alma-mater of Allama Iqbal who gave the vision of an independent state for the Muslims of Sub-Continent.