How high will power, gas rates go on IMF demand, asks Nawaz

LAHORE: Former prime minister and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif wondered on Monday how much rates of electricity and gas would be increased on the IMF directions.

Speaking at a Punjab government meeting, along with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz here, he said nobody knows exactly how the raise in electricity and gas tariffs could be stopped. Commenting on unprecedented inflation in the country, he asked that for how long people’s patience would be tested. He directed that problem of expensive electricity for small farmers should be solved by providing them with solar panels.

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information Minister Azma Bukhari, Transport Minister Bilal Akbar, MPA Sania Ashiq, provincial chief secretary, P&D chairman, Transport secretary and other officials concerned attended the meeting.

Nawaz Sharif said a small farmer should get full reward for his hard work and should be saved from exploitation at the hands of big farmers and millers.

During the meeting, Nawaz Sharif and Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz called for a plan of an underground train project in Lahore, while a decision was reached in principle that the metro bus project would be launched in three more cities of Punjab.

Former premier directed the provincial government to increase the number of bikes for students. He said monthly instalment of bikes for students should be kept minimum, as it was a responsibility of the government to share the financial burden of students. He said bus fare for public should also be fixed at the minimum possible.

The meeting was informed that 19,000 petrol and 1,000 electric bikes would be given to students on monthly instalments without any interest. Monthly instalment of petrol bike would be less than Rs5000 per month and instalment of e-bike would be less than Rs10,000 per month. In villages, 70 per cent quota was reserved for male students and 30 per cent for female students. The CM ordered that schedule for receiving applications for bikes should be announced before Eid.

CM Maryam called a comprehensive plan for providing solar panels to farmers in Punjab and decided in principle that the government would give farmers solar panels for running tube-wells. She promised that farmers would be provided modern machinery and drip irrigation would also be introduced to save water and reduce costs. She directed that a comprehensive strategy should be formulated to check the mafia selling fertilisers at higher rates.

The was also informed that 300 hybrid diesel buses would be bought for Lahore, 78 for Rawalpindi, 100 for Multan, 110 for Faisalabad and 42 for Bahawalpur, and 27 electric buses would be operated in Lahore.