Punjab signs 1,263MW power project agreement

LAHORE: The Punjab government and a Chinese energy company, China Machinery Engineering Corporation, on Friday signed a 1,263-megawatt gas power project.

The Chinese company will establish the project near the Trimu Barrage in Jhang. Initially, 810-megawatt electricity will be produced from the Punjab Power Plant in a short period of 14 months, while a total of 1,263-megawatt electricity will be included in the national grid after the completion of the project in 26 months.

Punjab Thermal Power Company Chief Executive Officer Ahad Cheema signed the agreement on behalf of the Punjab government, while Fung Yung Choy, Vice President, signed the agreement on behalf of the China Machinery Engineering Corporation. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest at the ceremony.

While addressing the ceremony, Shahbaz said the project was continuity of great efforts, rendered by the government of Pakistan Muslim League-N under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during the last four years to overcome the energy crisis. The loadshedding would completely end at the end of this year or at the start of the next year, the CM said. He said with the completion of the project, Pakistan would be able to sell electricity to India, Afghanistan and Iran.

The CM regretted that the media was not acting conscientiously. It, rather, is ruining the national direction instead of performing any national service with its mendacity, misstatements, wrong analyses and discussions, he added.

He said the Bhikki, Balluki and Haveli Bahadur Shah’s 3,600-megawatt gas-based power plants were generating electricity. Similarly, 1,320-megawatt Sahiwal Coal Power Plant is fully functional. Meanwhile, 400-megawatt solar energy power plants  have been set up in the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, Bahawalpur, and a Turkish Company was installing 300-megawatt solar power plant with a tariff of 6 cent and 5.15 cent.

He regretted that some media channels were gossiping about corruption in energy projects and immersed in baseless propaganda that the Sharif Brothers set up no new project without corruption and commissions. These channels could not bring out corruption of even a single penny in these projects and it was better for them that they, at least, praise this humble national service and appreciate the labourers, officers and other people working on these projects.

“You should not forget the corruption of billions of rupees in rental power plants. The machinery of Nandipur Power Plant  kept lying at the Karachi Port for three long years and the then Federal Minister Babar Awan hid the file of the project in the drawer of his table. Due to this, the poor nation had to face a loss of billions of rupees.”

The media should also remember how the nation was hoodwinked in the name of Diamer Bhasha Dam. The PML-N government has now purchased land for the project with Rs100 billion  and the work on Dasu Dam had also started.

He said it was need of the hour that the media guided the nation about various challenges facing the country, including energy crisis, terrorism and political instability. “For the sake of Allah, don’t tell lies; let Pakistan move forward. The wrong should be declared a wrong and the drawbacks should be highlighted if there are any, because the nation expects so from you. But for God’s sake, do not deceive the nation by telling lies. Who that section of the media want to benefit by presenting wrong analyses and falsehood,” he asked.

Vice President of China Machinery Engineering Corporation, Fung Yung Choy said the Punjab Power Plant will be an example of transparency and this initiative will be a benchmark and we will complete this project in the scheduled time frame.

Senior Executive Vice President of Siemens Mr. Jean Claude Nasr said that Lahore is an important city of Pakistan and we are happy to work here. He paid rich tributes to the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and appreciated his work.

Meanwhile, the heads of Turkish companies and senior  officials attending the Pak-Medica Health Exhibition called on Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif on Friday. They pledged to  make investments to improve healthcare system of Punjab. An agreement of Hospital Management Information System was also signed between Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab and Turkish companies Havelsan-Sisoft.

Under this agreement, the Turkish companies will introduce Hospital Management Information System in Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant and Research Centre. The first phase of this system will be completed by Dec 2017. Mujahid Sherdil, the CEO of IDAP and Ms Zeynip Arzu Celik signed the agreement on behalf of the respective sides.

Chief Minister said the growing cooperation between Turkey and the Punjab government in healthcare sector would benefit the ailing humanity and the Turkish cooperation will also help in improving the healthcare facilities.

Shahbaz directed constituting a joint committee comprising officials of Punjab government and heads of Turkish companies to regularly review the growing cooperation in healthcare sector. The heads of Turkish companies appreciated the efforts of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for development and improvement  of healthcare system.

Consul General of Turkey and heads of Turkish companies, provincial ministers including Tanveer Aslam Malik, Khwaja Salman Rafiq, Khwaja Imran Nazir and officials were also present on the occasion.

Also, Member of the Turkish Parliament Burhan Kayaturk called on the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday. Promotion of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Turkey in different sectors especially enhancement of mutual collaboration in healthcare sector came under discussion. The member Turkish Parliament assured to continue cooperation for improvement of healthcare and other sectors.

Meanwhile, Country Director of South Asian Region of World Bank Patchamuthu Illangovan called on Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif and discussed various social sector programmes in the Punjab, launched with the cooperation of the World Bank. He appreciated computerisation of land record and social sector reforms and said the Punjab government has introduced tremendous reforms for improvement in social sector under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif.