Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that energy crisis has negatively impacted the national economy and the country cannot be put on the road to progress without overcoming it. He expressed these views on Saturday while presiding over a high-level meeting held to review the progress and implementation on various energy projects. Provincial ministers for energy, irrigation, agriculture, chief secretary, chairman planning and development, experts and other officers attended the meeting which discussed in detail the energy generating projects through biomass, hydle and other sources. While addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said that resolution of energy crisis was the foremost priority of the government as without it the dream of development of economy and enhancing foreign investment could never be materialised. He said the Punjab government was encouraging launching of energy projects through public private partnership and all facilities would be provided to the investors in this regard. He said the material for biomass was available in abundance and energy could be generated through it. He said talks were held with China for cooperation in biomass, hydle and solar energy sectors and there would be progress soon in this regard. Meanwhile, Wapda Chairman Syed Raghib Abbas Shah called on the chief minister and informed him about the details of Hydle Power Vision-2025 and performance of the department. He told that a medium- and long-term plan had been evolved for hydro power. Talking to the Wapda chairman, the chief minister said energy crisis not only affected the common man but also stopped the economic and industrial activities.
