Uproar in PA over water projects supervision by Sarwar

LAHORE: Opposition in Punjab Assembly on Monday demanded the PTI government to explain on what grounds Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar is ‘supervising’ the water supply projects.

Punjab Assembly, during the question hour session which was related to Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering witnessed uproar when Minister Mian Mehmood-ul-Rasheed tried to justify the role of Punjab Governor in water supply projects. Azma Zahid Bokhari, the PML-N legislator, in a supplementary question asked the minister to explain on what grounds the governor was leading the water supply projects of the Punjab government.

When Mian Mehmood, while responding to her remarked that the governor was ‘supervising’ these projects and this answer caused uproar in the House. “On what grounds he is supervising the projects, Punjab Governor isn’t the chief executive of the province” questioned Azma Zahid Bokhari amid noise from the Opposition benches over the answer of the provincial minister. “Under which law, the governor can head these projects, the governor has no executive powers” asked Azma Bokhari.

The Deputy Speaker PA, Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari, who was chairing the session, asked Azma Bokhari to sit down but she refused and insisted that House must be told about the legal powers of the governor. “No, I will not give you the floor’ said the Deputy Speaker to the PML-N legislator. Malik Ahmad, another PML-N MPA on the occasion also requested the chair to let the member continue but he didn’t allow. Earlier, Provincial Minister Mian Mehmood-ul-Rasheed, while responding to the criticism of PML-N MPA Tahir Pervaiz, stated that for last 10 years, the previous rulers couldn’t ensure provision of water to entire district of Faisalabad whereas it was demanding PTI to deliver in 10 months. He said that the Chief Executive Officer of Saaf Paani Company established by the previous government was under detention for his alleged involvement in massive corruption. Mian Mehmood said that the PTI government was committed to supply clean drinking water to the entire province. Responding to a question of a PTI MPA Abida Bibi regarding Bulk Water Supply Project connecting Murree to Jhelum River, stated that this project could have been completed at a cost of around Rs2.5 billion but Shahbaz Sharif government put it to a halt. He said now, this project would cost around Rs10 billion just because of the ‘crime’ committed by the previous government.

PERVAIZ RASHEED OWES RS7M, ASIF KIRMANI RS6.5M TO PUNJAB HOUSE: Punjab Minister for Housing, Urban Development Mian Mehmood-ul-Rasheed told Punjab Assembly that the PTI government was starting the audit of Punjab House, Islamabad.

Responding to the complaint of ‘discrimination’ in the allotment of room raised by a PML-N MPA Rana Munawar Ghos in the state owned rest house, the minister stated that the Punjab House resources were lavishly used by the ‘Royal family’ that ruled the country as well as their personal servants.

He said that two figures of PML-N, including Pervaiz Rasheed and Asif Kirmani owed Rs7m and Rs6.5 million respectively to Punjab House adding more details would come to surface in the audit ordered by the government.

Rana Munawar Ghos, the PML-N MPA from Sargodha, on a point of order had protested over the discrimination done with the Opposition members over the allotment of rooms in Punjab House. He stated that despite entitlement, the rooms were not allotted to the Opposition members which had never been done in past.

Deputy Speaker Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari on the occasion stated that he had also faced similar experience but the rooms in Punjab House were subject to availability. Ahmed Khan Bhacchar of PTI while speaking on the occasion stated that as the Opposition member in past, he had also faced similar situation but this shouldn’t be done to the members of the House who were entitled to get rooms in Punjab House.

PA TO DEBATE ON SUGARCANE CRUSHING ISSUE: Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari ordered debate in the House in the presence of Agricultural Minister over the issue of sugarcane growers tomorrow (Wednesday). Deputy Speaker issued the instructions while responding to the point of order by PPP Parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza who voiced serious concern over the delay in the commencing of the sugarcane crushing process.

Hassan Murtaza, who has been elected for the third term and belongs to Chiniot (previously Jhang), expressed serious reservations over the attitude of bureaucracy towards the woes of the sugarcane growers. He stated the process of cane crushing should have been initiated by November 10, but as per the latest information, the fresh date for this process had been set on December 15. He said it was regretful that a farmer worked day and night to protect his crop at the time when he had to receive the reward of the labour, the officials were seen busy in holding meetings rather than taking practical steps. He said the mill owners also ganged up to deprive the farmer of his due and deserved payments whereas this delay in crushing also affected the sowing of wheat whose season starts by the mid of December. The Deputy Speaker also endorsed the views of Hassan Murtaza and ordered debate over the issue of sugarcane growers on Wednesday.

The PML-N MPA from Sahiwal, Malik Arshed criticised the PTI government for targeting low cadre employees and transferring them to remote districts of Punjab on the order of bureaucracy. Malik Arshed, who got elected from Sahiwal from the second term stated that all this had been done on the instructions of the PTI stalwart who lost election from him in last polls.

LG minister: Punjab Assembly on Monday couldn’t hold the question hour session related to Local Government and Community Development due to the absence of the minister concerned.

Abdul Aleem Khan, the Punjab Minister for Local Government, didn’t turn up to the session as he was out of city whereas so far the PTI government hasn’t made the Parliamentary Secretaries who could answer the queries in the absence of the ministers concerned. PML-N MPA Tahir Pervaiz criticised the PTI government for not taking the House business seriously.