Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the PML-N always took concrete steps to ensure provision of comfortable, quality and economical traveling facilities to the general public.

He was addressing the launching ceremony of Student Green Card Scheme, held under the auspices of Lahore Transport Company at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here. Advisors Begum Zakiya Shahnawaz, Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Lahore Transport Company chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hasaan, Vice-chairman Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmed, Members Assembly, bus operators, parents, teachers and a large number of students were also present. Addressing the ceremony, Shahbaz Sharif said that public transport system played a crucial role in the progress and prosperity of every society, asserting that the Punjab government had taken revolutionary measures to ensure provision of quality traveling facilities to the citizens by streamlining the public transport system on modern lines. He said the provision of best transport facilities to the citizens was the foremost duty of the state, but, unfortunately, the sector was neglected in the past.

He said the government had introduced Green Card Scheme for the students of provincial metropolis, which would also be expanded to all cities of the province. Shahbaz Sharif said that the initiation of Student Green Card Scheme was a significant step towards ensuring socio-economic justice to the masses. As many as one 1,25,000 girl and boy students would benefit from the new scheme.

Residential societies: A representative delegation of office-bearers and residents of different residential societies met the Punjab chief minister at his Tent Office and apprised him of their problems. Provincial minister Ch. Abdul Ghafoor, Members Assembly Muhammad Afzal Khokhar, Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar, Muslim League Leader Sajid Chaudhary, Senior Member Board of Revenue, the Secretaries of Housing and Cooperative Departments, the Commissioner and the DCO, Lahore, and the LDA director general were also present. Talking to the delegation, Shahbaz Sharif said that ensuring protection of life, honour and property, along with promoting commercial activities, was the foremost responsibility of the state and the police.

people problems: Shahbaz Sharif heard complaints of citizens who had come from various districts of Punjab to his Tent Office at Minar-e-Pakistan and issued on-the-spot instructions for the redressal of their grievances.