PML-Q started Lahore mass transit project in 2004: Pervaiz
July 20, 2011
LAHORE: PML-Q leader and senior federal minister Ch Parvaiz Elahi has said that Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) would have been operative within next six months had Shahbaz government followed his governmentís project.
He claimed that the project was initiated by his govt in 2004. He said the Punjab governmentís move of renaming and asserting its claim over the mega project would fall flat as the public was well aware that it was conceived, planned, financed and initiated by the earlier Punjab govt. However, the present Punjab government due to its competency would ruin the project, Pervaiz said during a press conference here on Tuesday.
Briefing the journalists on the Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) project, he said that after inviting international tenders in 2004 from suitable consultants, his government had short listed a Hong Kong-based company credited with several successful urban metro projects in the world.
He further said that Systra, a French company, had completed the reference design of the LRMTS in 2007 which included engineering, planning, financial evaluation and other project details, adding that as per international standards, a mega construction project was considered 30 percent complete once its reference design was ready. Explaining the financial aspect of the Urban Rail Road Project, Pervaiz Elahi said that according to the 2006 price index, the cost for the 27km green line that was to begin from Ferozepur Road to culminate at Shahdra was put at $ 2.4 billion. He said the Asian Development Bank, due to the viability of the project and the prevalent friendly investment climate in Punjab, had agreed to give a loan of $ 1 billion at only 1.5% mark-up while for rolling stock, various large investment groups showed keen interest.
The PML-Q leader said that Shahbaz government, soon after its formation, started scrapping and stopping projects of his government on vindictive grounds. He said the LRMTS also became a target of revenge and the present Punjab government conveyed to the Asian Development Bank that $ 1 billion loan was not required as the investment climate in the province was not congenial. He claimed that Shahbaz Sharif had become the first-ever chief minister who not only refused a much required loan but also informed the investors at large to stay away from investing in Punjab, which was the biggest treachery in the countryís history.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that the timely completion of his governmentís LRMTS project had the potential of generating $100 million per annum apart from creating of over one million new jobs and a huge saving of publicís time and money.
Criticizing Shahbaz governmentís recently signed rail road project in Lahore with a foreign company, he said there were irregularities in the so-called MoU. He alleged that there was no project feasibility and the financial details, including the mark-up rate on a massive $ 1.87 billion loan that was not been made public. He said Shahbaz governmentís abject failure to manage Punjab was evidence of the fact that it was left with no choice but to revive the earlier governmentís projects, namely the IT Tower Lahore and the LRMTS. He suggested the Punjab government to rename Lahore-Sialkot Motorway project as Nawaz Shahbaz Motorway if it would help its revival. He called the provincial government incompetent and devoid of any vision.
Pervaiz said that soon after Shahbaz governmentís takeover, he had been pinpointing its incompetence and accused the government of ruining the provincial economy. He severally criticised the bogus claims of turning 8-Club road into an IT university, selling of bullet-proof cars, Sasti Roti scheme, Green Tractor Scheme, taskforces, etc. He said the current government had rendered huge losses to people of Punjab by scrapping the earlier governmentís successful projects.
APP ADDS:
Ch Pervaiz Elahi has said that the PML-N was faced with political loneliness and its recent controversial decisions on critical issues would further isolate it.
ìThe PML-N does not believe in political coalitions for the sake of democracy and its past actions stand witness to the fact,î he said while responding to the media queries.
Pervaiz said the PML-N had betrayed the PPP after forming a coalition in the beginning, adding that PML-Q was fully committed to letting PPP-led coalition government complete its constitutional term and that was why its parliamentarians supported the government on all important occasions in the National Assembly.
To a query, he said the PML-Q did not enter into the coalition earlier since it wanted to show to the masses who was at fault. Lauding the decision of the MQM leadership to continue supporting the federal government, Elahi expressed hope that relations among the coalition partners would further strengthen in the near future.
Responding to another question, the federal minister said, ìthe PML-Q wishes that PPP-MQM partnership lasts long and that is why PML-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain made practical efforts for the restoration of relations between the estranged partners in Sindh.î
On the question of PML-N being the real Muslim League, he said PML-N Quaid who was member of Tehrik-e-Istaqlal in 1985 elections could not claim the ownership of the Muslim League while he himself and Ch Shujaat Hussain had contested 1977 elections on the PML tickets.
About the performance of the Punjab government, he said the masses in Punjab did not benefit from any initiative undertaken by the Punjab government during the past three and half years. To a query regarding poultry projects by the Sharifs in the province, he said that it would give rise to dearness in Punjab. On the question of delay in matric results, Pervaiz said, ìGood governance of the Punjab government can be assessed from the fact that it made the candidates and their parents move from the pillar to post during the submission of admission forms and now it is unable to declare results on time.î
Regarding the land grabbers mafia in the journalist housing schemes, he said the PML-Q had always supported the cause of the journalists in the country and it would stand by the journalists in their fight against the land mafia, adding that the PML-Q was the only political party which started housing colonies for journalists.
To a question about utility stores, the minister said, ìthe government wants the benefits of subsidy on the utility stores reach common man.î To a query, he said that special utility stores counters would be installed at all the press clubs of the major cities to facilitate journalists, adding that he had informed the zonal as well as regional managers of the utility Stores Corporation that shortage would not be tolerated at all. Regarding the law and order situation in Karachi, he said all political parties would have to play their role to ensure lasting peace in Karachi. About the grand national alliance for which Nawaz Sharif was struggling, he said as predicted, it was grounded after good grinding in the political windmill.
He claimed that the project was initiated by his govt in 2004. He said the Punjab governmentís move of renaming and asserting its claim over the mega project would fall flat as the public was well aware that it was conceived, planned, financed and initiated by the earlier Punjab govt. However, the present Punjab government due to its competency would ruin the project, Pervaiz said during a press conference here on Tuesday.
Briefing the journalists on the Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) project, he said that after inviting international tenders in 2004 from suitable consultants, his government had short listed a Hong Kong-based company credited with several successful urban metro projects in the world.
He further said that Systra, a French company, had completed the reference design of the LRMTS in 2007 which included engineering, planning, financial evaluation and other project details, adding that as per international standards, a mega construction project was considered 30 percent complete once its reference design was ready. Explaining the financial aspect of the Urban Rail Road Project, Pervaiz Elahi said that according to the 2006 price index, the cost for the 27km green line that was to begin from Ferozepur Road to culminate at Shahdra was put at $ 2.4 billion. He said the Asian Development Bank, due to the viability of the project and the prevalent friendly investment climate in Punjab, had agreed to give a loan of $ 1 billion at only 1.5% mark-up while for rolling stock, various large investment groups showed keen interest.
The PML-Q leader said that Shahbaz government, soon after its formation, started scrapping and stopping projects of his government on vindictive grounds. He said the LRMTS also became a target of revenge and the present Punjab government conveyed to the Asian Development Bank that $ 1 billion loan was not required as the investment climate in the province was not congenial. He claimed that Shahbaz Sharif had become the first-ever chief minister who not only refused a much required loan but also informed the investors at large to stay away from investing in Punjab, which was the biggest treachery in the countryís history.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that the timely completion of his governmentís LRMTS project had the potential of generating $100 million per annum apart from creating of over one million new jobs and a huge saving of publicís time and money.
Criticizing Shahbaz governmentís recently signed rail road project in Lahore with a foreign company, he said there were irregularities in the so-called MoU. He alleged that there was no project feasibility and the financial details, including the mark-up rate on a massive $ 1.87 billion loan that was not been made public. He said Shahbaz governmentís abject failure to manage Punjab was evidence of the fact that it was left with no choice but to revive the earlier governmentís projects, namely the IT Tower Lahore and the LRMTS. He suggested the Punjab government to rename Lahore-Sialkot Motorway project as Nawaz Shahbaz Motorway if it would help its revival. He called the provincial government incompetent and devoid of any vision.
Pervaiz said that soon after Shahbaz governmentís takeover, he had been pinpointing its incompetence and accused the government of ruining the provincial economy. He severally criticised the bogus claims of turning 8-Club road into an IT university, selling of bullet-proof cars, Sasti Roti scheme, Green Tractor Scheme, taskforces, etc. He said the current government had rendered huge losses to people of Punjab by scrapping the earlier governmentís successful projects.
APP ADDS:
Ch Pervaiz Elahi has said that the PML-N was faced with political loneliness and its recent controversial decisions on critical issues would further isolate it.
ìThe PML-N does not believe in political coalitions for the sake of democracy and its past actions stand witness to the fact,î he said while responding to the media queries.
Pervaiz said the PML-N had betrayed the PPP after forming a coalition in the beginning, adding that PML-Q was fully committed to letting PPP-led coalition government complete its constitutional term and that was why its parliamentarians supported the government on all important occasions in the National Assembly.
To a query, he said the PML-Q did not enter into the coalition earlier since it wanted to show to the masses who was at fault. Lauding the decision of the MQM leadership to continue supporting the federal government, Elahi expressed hope that relations among the coalition partners would further strengthen in the near future.
Responding to another question, the federal minister said, ìthe PML-Q wishes that PPP-MQM partnership lasts long and that is why PML-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain made practical efforts for the restoration of relations between the estranged partners in Sindh.î
On the question of PML-N being the real Muslim League, he said PML-N Quaid who was member of Tehrik-e-Istaqlal in 1985 elections could not claim the ownership of the Muslim League while he himself and Ch Shujaat Hussain had contested 1977 elections on the PML tickets.
About the performance of the Punjab government, he said the masses in Punjab did not benefit from any initiative undertaken by the Punjab government during the past three and half years. To a query regarding poultry projects by the Sharifs in the province, he said that it would give rise to dearness in Punjab. On the question of delay in matric results, Pervaiz said, ìGood governance of the Punjab government can be assessed from the fact that it made the candidates and their parents move from the pillar to post during the submission of admission forms and now it is unable to declare results on time.î
Regarding the land grabbers mafia in the journalist housing schemes, he said the PML-Q had always supported the cause of the journalists in the country and it would stand by the journalists in their fight against the land mafia, adding that the PML-Q was the only political party which started housing colonies for journalists.
To a question about utility stores, the minister said, ìthe government wants the benefits of subsidy on the utility stores reach common man.î To a query, he said that special utility stores counters would be installed at all the press clubs of the major cities to facilitate journalists, adding that he had informed the zonal as well as regional managers of the utility Stores Corporation that shortage would not be tolerated at all. Regarding the law and order situation in Karachi, he said all political parties would have to play their role to ensure lasting peace in Karachi. About the grand national alliance for which Nawaz Sharif was struggling, he said as predicted, it was grounded after good grinding in the political windmill.
