Uproar at PA over Multan Metro Bus project

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly on Tuesday once again witnessed uproar over the issue of ‘mysterious disappearance’ of Faisal Subhan, Chief Executive Officer of Capital Engineering.

The PA session, which started late for around an hour, with Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani in chair once again plunged into disorder after the opposition members started a protest over the issue of Faisal Subhan.

Speaking on point of order, Mian Mehmood ul Rasheed, the opposition leader, said irregularities of billions of rupees had been done in the Multan Metro Bus project. He stressed that Punjab CM should himself clear his position before the House or at least Law Minister Rana Sanaullah should speak on his behalf over the issue.

After this, the opposition members stood up and surrounded the speaker’s chair amid slogans against the government. Later, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the proceedings till Wednesday (today). The opposition members also staged a protest on stairs outside PA.

DRUG-FREE PUNJAB: During question hour session related to excise and taxation and irrigation, Punjab Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman while responding to a question by PML-N legislator Nighat Nasir Sheikh said Punjab would be declared a drug-free province in next few months.

Growers’ issues: Over the issue related to the grievances of growers, opposition members Sardar Shahab-ud-Din and Mumtaz Bhachhar drew the attention of chair towards delay in payments to sugarcane growers by the mill owners. The PA was told that mill owners were buying sugarcane from growers at a very low rate rejecting the fixed rates of the government.

Mian Aslam Iqbal of PTI on a point of order stated that sugar mills belonged to the rulers on which deputy speaker remarked that sugar mill owned by Jehangir Khan Tareen was also the part of problem. Opposition members on the occasion demanded inclusion of their names in the committee of House members which had been assigned to visit sugar mills.

PU: A delegation of members of Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Mines and Minerals headed by Mehr Khalid Mahmood Sargana visited PU Centre for Coal Technology (CCT).

According to a press release, PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Zakaria Zakar and CCT Prof Dr Shahid Munir welcomed the delegation. Prof Shahid Munir briefed the delegation on the present energy scenario and future role of coal in electricity generation specific to Pakistan and transfer of clean coal technology from developed/developing countries to Pakistan.

Prof Shahid Munir and the delegates agreed that there was a need to enhance the local coal utilisation in the indigenous coal-based power plants. The delegates praised the technical consultancy of Prof Dr Shahid Munir given to the Punjab government in the projects for the establishment of coal-fired power plants. Prof Dr Zakria Zakar also praised Prof Dr Shahid Munir.

During the session, discussions were held to further strength the vision of coal-based electricity generation. The purpose of the visit of the Standing Commitee members was to view the implementation of the chief minister’s vision for the development of human resource and research for coal-fired electricity generation systems in an environment-friendly manner and upgradation of indigenous coal for use in energy recovery systems.