LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on Monday while lamenting the attitude of the Federal Government towards the Punjab Government regarding supply of electricity, has vowed to continue protest camp office until ‘step motherly treatment’ to the province is given up by the Centre. Talking to media, following Cabinet meeting at the camp office, underneath Minar-e- Pakistan, Iqbal Park here, Shahbaz said that the Federal Govt owes major chunk of money to the circular debts i.e. Rs 400b wherein the liability of the Punjab govt was only Rs four billion, but the province was the worst target of the Federal govt attitude.He said that the industrial and domestic life in the province had been badly hit by power outages. He stated that the Federal government under the convicted PM Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, had done a great injustice to the Punjab by not implementing decisions of Energy Conference, which had prescribed equal hours of loadshedding in all the four provinces.  He said Punjab is getting 700mw less electricity than its due share whereof the Punjab economy has suffered loss of billions of rupees. He told the media that the Federal govt was giving a wrong perception that the provinces are authorised to generate electricity following the 18th Amendment when the fact is, guarantee from the Federal govt was a must for this purpose, which the Punjab was being denied. He also charged the Federal government for impeding the energy generation plans in Punjab. He said that the situation would have been quite different today in Punjab had this province been allowed to generate electricity as Punjab government is on the record to have completed several mega projects within few months. Shahbaz again stressed for bringing back money from Swiss banks and discharging the circular debts and also generating electricity through the sugarcane waste in 78 sugar mills in three provinces.  He said the energy crisis would be over only if the said steps are taken but Ali Baba and 40 thieves don’t have time from their corruption spree to attend to this problem. The CM said people pay taxes and depriving them their basic right of electricity is shameful. He said he stood by the masses in their protest and would soon announce his next programme in due course. He announced to continue the protest camp till Punjab is given its share of electricity. All provincial Ministers and Advisers would also conduct their daily work in the camps outside their offices, he declared.He also urged the protesters not to damage the public and private property. Earlier, the Punjab Cabinet approved constitution of a loadshedding management Committee of the Cabinet with an aim to dealing with the matters relating to loadshedding. The meeting presided over by Shahbaz Sharif also tasked the Committee with taking into account law and order and inter-provincial issues regarding distribution of energy.  The Punjab govt also absolved itself of any responsibility in the outages of power, saying the provinces have not so far been authorised to set power generation projects nor any such initiative can be undertaken without guarantee from the Centre. The meeting also agreed to promote solar energy for the elimination of loadshedding and also gave approval to amendment in Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency Ordinance 2002.The meeting discussed power crisis with particular emphasis on the situation in Punjab as well as the next budget of the Punjab Government and law and order. The meeting, also discussed various options and means to provide relief to the common man in the next provincial budget.Provincial Secretary Interior briefed the Cabinet on the law and order situation while the Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary, Punjab, to take up the matter of circular debt with the Federal government. All Provincial Ministers, Advisers, Special Assistants, Chief Secretary, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Inspector General Police and Provincial Secretaries were present in the Cabinet meeting. Secretary Energy informed the meeting that 700 industrial units in the province have been closed down due to loadshedding resulting in a daily loss of Rs 500 million. He said that permission has been granted for setting up of Punjab Power Development Fund and Punjab Power Guarantee Fund which will help in increasing production capacity.Similarly, he said, capacity for energy audit has been developed in the province which will help in the energy audit in the industrial sector.At the Cabinet meeting Chief Minister, Ministers, advisers and others were present wearing black band around the arms. 

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