Greater Thal Canal project: Punjab cabinet protests against Centre for not signing agreement with ADB

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi presided over the 5th provincial cabinet meeting at the CM office on Sunday, which strongly protested against the federal government for not signing an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the construction of Greater Thal Canal Project.

The federal government’s demeanour was strongly condemned during the meeting. The CM denounced that surplus foreign exchange of one billion dollars in the national exchequer was getting wasted due to inefficiency of the federal government, adding that in case of making an agreement again with the ADB, the cost would increase more than two times. The federal government, by not signing an agreement with the ADB, not only did an enmity with Punjab but also with the country.

The CM regretted that the federal government was carrying out economic murder of farmers of Punjab, adding that the demeanour of the federal government was equal to ruining the efforts to make Punjab a food basket. Had the Greater Thal Canal Project been in place, farmers would have received surplus water and become self-sufficient in wheat. But the federal government denied its share in the Greater Thal Canal Project.

The CM underscored that the Punjab government would go to the last extent to get its rights, adding that how come those ruining the country could sustain the sinking economy.

During the Punjab cabinet meeting, a former decision to constitute a Joint Investigation Team under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 of Section 19(1) on the Model Town tragedy was endorsed.

An approval was given in principle during the meeting for fast-track launch of waste-to-energy project to provide cheap electricity to industries. The chief minister directed Local Government, Energy and Industries department to collaborate in this regard.

The cabinet also granted approval for grant in aid for the Journalists Housing Society, Faisalabad, and payment of outstanding dues to Justice (retd) Shabbar Raza Rizvi in one-man inquiry tribunal.

Approval was granted for transfer of industrial and residential units condonation fee, which has been fixed at 50 per cent along with fixing time period, automation of stamp duty, lifting ban for making recruitment on new posts for e-stamping and increasing the expenditure cost of PICIIP project in Sahiwal.

The decisions made during the first, second, third and fourth cabinet meetings were also endorsed during the meeting. Provincial ministers and officials concerned attended the meeting via video-link.