Punjab Study

LAHORE:25 September: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that revolutionary programmes for the youth initiated in the province at a cost of billions of rupees are yielding positive and encouraging results and lakhs of poor and unemployed but talented and intelligent youth are benefiting from these programmes launched by Pakistan Muslim League-N government.
He said that it is the utmost effort of the Punjab government that the youth are given their due right through these and revolutionary programmes and green tractor scheme, laptop, self-employment scheme, provision of buses for colleges, solar panels and bio-gas pilot projects have been started during the current year as well. He said that other provinces are also following the programmes started for the youth by the PML-N government which is reflection of their confidence in these successful programmes.
He was talking to a delegation of Assembly Members, here today. The Chief Minister said that a new identity has been given to the youth through youth programmes andequal opportunities of progress have become available to the talented youth. He said that 20 thousand tractors are being distributed under green tractor scheme at a cost of Rs.4 billion and a subsidy of Rs.2 lakh is being given on each tractor while the project of distribution of laser levelers has also been started which will benefit the cultivators.
He said that like the last year, the process of distribution of more than one lakh laptops among boy and girl students is also being started this year and students of evening classes will also be eligible under this scheme. He said laptops of latest model will be distributed among the students this year. He said that solar home panels will be given with a cost of Rs.2 billion while sewing machines will be distributed among skilled women at a cost of Rs.1 billion.
He said that bio-gas pilot project will also become operational soon. He said that 200 buses are being provided to the colleges in the province while 1200 buses are being purchased for public transport. He said that arrangements are being made for plying special buses for the dwellers of backward and poor areas.
He said that interest-free small loans are being given under Chief Minister's employment scheme with a sum of Rs.2 billion and the loan of Rs.15 to 50 thousand is being offered for small business. He said that distribution of loans through mosques, Imam Bargahs and churches is a welcome step where Assembly Members distribute loans among deserving and needy persons.
The Chief Minister further said that Lahore-Kasur Road project had been started by the former government but when he came into power and visited this project, it presented the look of a desert. He said that it is unfortunate that on some sections of the project the work had even not been started, but payments were made to the contractors and billions of rupees of the poor nation were wasted on this so-called project of public welfare.
He said that the present government transformed the graveyards of corruption of former government into monuments to development and also completed Lahore-Kasur Road project. He said that corruption and plunder of the federal rulers has destroyed national economy and there is a need for evolving a system of strict accountability to check loot and corruption. He said that when the PML-N government came into power, all institutions were in a state of ruination and corruption and loot were rampant.
He said that the collusion of the same corrupt mafia is now opposing the PML-N government. He said that the effective strategy evolved by the Punjab government for rooting out corruption is yielding positive results. He said that it is easy to take tough decisions if one is sincere and immediate steps can be taken for the solution of public problems if the political leadership is determined and infused with the spirit of public service.
He said public welfare projects have been started only for the betterment of the masses and these elements in connivance with corrupt mafia are criticizing these projects. He said that if launching of public welfare scheme is a crime he will commit this crime again and again and will not be deterred from public welfare activities and service to the masses. He said that the role of assembly members is of utmost importance for the expeditious implementation of public welfare measures and they should take active part for ensuring that the benefits of these steps should reach the masses.
He said that there is an effective system of monitoring for timely and transparent completion of development projects. The Chief Minister stressed upon Assembly Members to keep a watchful eye on the standard of development projects in their respective areas and play their effective role for their timely completion.
F.P.Report.