Nawaz to inaugurate 660MW first unit of Sahiwal power plant on May 20

Shahbaz visits Sahiwal Coal Power Plant; says creating hurdles through protests, sit-ins in energy projects to be national crime; ex-rulers ruthlessly looted national resources

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that Sahiwal Coal Power Plant is a landmark project in the history of the country, and it will break all records from America to Zambia of speedy completion of projects.

The chief minister said this during his visit to the 1,320 megawatt coal power plant in Sahiwal and reviewed the progress in the project. He also presided over a meeting at the site of the project and reviewed the pace of implementation.

He expressed satisfaction over the fast pace of work on the project. He also inspected the production unit and control room of the project. Chinese experts gave briefing to  him on the fast-track progress in the project.

The chief minister expressed great satisfaction over progress in the project and congratulated the Chinese engineers and workers working on the project. Sahiwal Coal Power Project will set new record in the entire world and it has also broken Chinese record, he added. He said, “We find no such example of 1,320 megawatt project being completed in such a short span of time. Once the project started operation, it will reduce loadshedding up to 25 per cent during summer.

Talking to the media after visiting different sections of the plant, the chief minister said Sahiwal Coal Power Plant would generate 1320 megawatts of electricity at a cost of Rs 192 billion.

He said it was the first energy project to be completed speedily under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The first unit of Sahiwal Coal Power Plant will generate 660 megawatt of electricity on May 20 and Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif would inaugurate the first unit. With the help of the second plant, 660 megawatt of electricity will be produced in June and the Chinese leadership will also come to attend the inauguration of the plant in Sahiwal. All the projects of CPEC are being completed in a transparent and speedily manner, he added. He said that  to ensure environmental protection, super-critical plant had been installed and international standard met in the plant regarding environmental protection. He said that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N government was endeavoring to solve the ongoing energy crisis in the country and the day was not so far when darkness will eventually vanish from this country.

He said those creating hurdles in the journey of progress of people should be stopped. He said it would be a national crime to create hurdles through protests and sit-ins in energy projects being set up speedily. He appealed to the leaders of political parties to mend their ways. He said such opportunities become available to the nations once in centuries.

“If Allah Almighty has provided a golden opportunity for the development of Pakistan then no effort should be made to stop this process.” He said national resources were looted ruthlessly and corruption was committed by the former rulers. With the help of CPEC, Pakistan is fast moving towards progress and development and those who are against it are the enemies of the country. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif many energy projects were being completed today.

Responding to the question, the chief minister said he would not let anyone usurp the rights of cultivators. During the current wheat procurement programme, justice will be done with the small cultivators. Law will come into force against those who usurp the rights of cultivators and the corrupt officials of Food Department will be sent behind bars. He said the protest by the staff of Food Department was useless and wheat procurement process would be continued in a transparent way and corrupt officials will be given strict punishment.