LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif pledged on Saturday to take people out of darkness at any cost.
Addressing the meeting of special committee on energy constituted by the prime minister, the chief minister said that completion of all the ongoing energy projects would be ensured by 2017. “Despite the problems and complications, China’s full cooperation in energy sector is highly appreciable,” the CM said.
Shahbaz said that if there was electricity in the country, agriculture would be promoted, wheel of industry and economy would be moving towards prosperity. He said that special attention was being paid to the implementation of energy projects in the country with full devotion and dedication. He committed not to be contented till the resolution of energy crisis.
Shahbaz also said that the increase in the production of cheap hydro-power was top priority of the government. He said that the government and public jointly had to face the challenge of energy crisis and expressed the hope that his government would overcome this problem.
The CM said that reliance on the thermal technology for generating electricity was the biggest mistake of the previous governments.
He said that steps were being taken for resolving energy crisis at federal and provincial level under a multi-dimensional strategy, which included implementation on energy generating projects through coal, solar and other alternative sources.
The meeting also constituted a working group comprising on the Ministries of Water & Power, Railways and Planning with regard to logistic support for energy projects at Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan and Jhang.
Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal and Federal Minister for Defense, Water & Power Khawaja Asif also addressed the meeting.
The meeting was informed that PC-1 of Guddani Project will be completed within a few days. PM presided over by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal at Islamabad on Saturday.