Legislators speak on contaminated water

LAHORE

Voicing serious concern over the situation of drinking water consumed by a major portion of population of Punjab, legislators across the divide in the Punjab Assembly demanded the government address the issue as a priority.

“I am sure that the minister sitting here cannot drink a glass of water provided to our people, I will give her an award if she is able to drink it” said Shaukat Laleka, a PML-N MPA elected from Bahawalnagar.

Speaking in the House in the pre-budget session and inviting the attention of Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghous Pasha over the contaminated water being used by the people, Laleka said: “Water of River Sultaj is constantly being contaminated due to factories effluents and it is not only used for plants or animals, but human beings also drink it.”

He said the water issue needs an immediate attention.

Laleka stated that factories discharging its waste in River Sutlaj should be directed to set up treatment plants and provision of safe drinking water to population should be ensured for their health safety. He also expressed concern over the medical centres in his district where no doctor was available and suggested attractive packages for them so that they could serve well in the areas where people needed them.

Demanding government to ‘ do more’ for agricultural sector, Laleka said the Kissan Package announced by the Prime Minister for the farmers was really commendable but at the same time, there was a need to end disparity between growers and industrialists, particularly over the issue of taxation and facilities.

He stated that industrialists, under the law pay tax over Rs 0.4 million but unfortunately, a farmer, already combating with different challenges have to pay tax over Rs 80,000.

Expressing concern regarding the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority, he said the minister sitting in the House might not be aware of it but since this was formed and its act was promulgated, the growers owning even 2 acres of lands were compelled to find some other ways to earn their bread and butter.

He said the perception that growers, agriculturists were not willing to pay taxes was wrong adding ‘I am sure they want to pay taxes but they want end to the prevailing disparity.’

“Agriculture should also be declare industry, if the farmer is given relief, this sector will definitely yield result” said Laleka. He also demanded exemption of duty from Green Tractors and stated if a rich person could buy a costly vehicle, he could also pay a little more amount as duty over it but if the government exempted farmers from duty on tractors, results would be revolutionary. Malik Javaid Iqbal Awan, the legislator elected from Khushab, said there was dire need to install hand pumps to ensure provision drinking water to the people. He said in the last budget, 300 hand pumps were approved for his constituency PP-39 but they were handed over to his MNA who installed them in PP 40.

Awan demanded 1,000 hand pumps in his constituency to ensure issues related with drinking water as well as agriculture.

He also urged managers of Lift Irrigation Scheme to address agriculture issues besides calling for allocation for construction of different roads and link roads of Khushab in the fiscal year 2016-17.

Gulnaz Shahzadi, a PML-N MPA from Sialkot, stressed the need to ensure safe drinking water to population on priority basis.

Citing the official figures, Shahzadi, said that most of the tube wells in her city needed to get functional. She lauded the efforts of the government of Shahbaz Sharif in education sector and hailed the Mobile Education Network in Southern Punjab areas like Cholistan.

She stated that this was a very vital scheme in terms of education.

Suggesting measures to improve English  reading skills of students aging between 7 and 9, the PML-N MPA stated that separate text book should be started for them. She also said that if students were sensitized with modern techniques, it would bring forth positive results in the sector.

Ahmed Shah Khagga, the PML-Q MPA from Pakpattan, lamented over the poor situation of his constituency where according to him, not a single road was constructed during the last eight years.

Ahmed Khan Bachar, a PTI MPA, said he had a great love for the city of Lahore where he was brought up and sought education but it wasn’t fair to ignore rest of Punjab at its cost. He said he was floating proposal in the pre-budget session despite the fact there was no use of it as the PML-N government was receiving suggestions from its loser MPAs through the DCOs concerned.

He said Rural Punjab needed immediate attention over the issue of water supply, development.

Saadia Sohail Rana of PTI in her speech demanded proper sanitation system in the area of Jia Musa, falling in PP-160.