- Shehbaz says govt will appreciate ABD financial support for next five years
- Country Director Xiaohong lauds Punjab Safe City Project for making Lahore secure
LAHORE: A five-member delegation of Asian Development Bank (ADB) headed by Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang called on Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday.
During the meeting, progress on different projects started in collaboration with the ADB was reviewed. The meeting agreed to further extend mutual cooperation in different sectors including public-private partnership based projects.
Talking on the occasion, the CM Shehbaz said that a number of development projects are being completed in collaboration with the ADB in different sectors including irrigation and energy. Asian Development Bank is providing 500 million dollars in funding for irrigation and energy projects, he added.
“ADB should provide development funds to the tune of 1.5 billion dollars every year for health, education and other sectors. Financial support of ADB for development schemes aiming at public welfare during the next five years in Punjab will be appreciated by the government,” he said.
He further said that Greater Thal Canal and Greater Cholistan Canal Projects will also be completed with ADB funding and added that water reserves will be developed in the outback of Cholistan to save canal and flood water. The vast expanse of Cholistan will be made green and cultivable through Water Resource Management Project. The Cholistan will be developed as a green basket not only for Punjab but for the whole of the country as well and contacts with Gulf States will be further improved by providing different facilities in Cholistan including an airport. ADB’s support for water treatment plant in Faisalabad is praiseworthy, he added.
He also said that positive results have been gained in achieving the development targets through continued hard work. He added that Punjab is far ahead of other provinces due to its exemplary development in education, health, agriculture and other sectors. The credit for the introduction of cold chain project for the most transparent system of distribution of medicines also goes to Punjab government.
He said that 50 more mobile health units will be introduced for providing best healthcare facilities to the people in far-flung areas. Meanwhile, best doctors from around the world will be invited to work in Multan Institute of Kidney Diseases (MIKD). He further said that helicopter service is also being introduced for transportation of specialist doctors in remote hinterlands. Punjab government is also giving Rs1000 stipend to female students to increase literacy rate among the womenfolk.
He said that mobile phones will also be provided for the prosperity of farmers and to help increase the agricultural produce. Meanwhile, interest-free small loans are being provided to the skilled youth under Chief Minister’s Self- Employment Scheme. He said that purple line metro train project will also be started through financial support of ADB adding that its technical support for traffic management and planning is commendable. Had KPK accepted our proposal for the start of metro bus service earlier, the project would have been completed today, he added.
Country Director Xiaohong Yang said that the reputation of Punjab Speed has spread across the world and due to the completion of Punjab Safe City project, Lahore has become a fully secured city for investment and tourism. She said that development vision of CM Shehbaz is commendable and exemplary and development projects have catalysed positive change in the province. In fact, financial collaboration with a rapidly developing Punjab is an honor for the ADB and leadership abilities of Shehbaz for composite development in Punjab cannot be forgotten.
Head of PKUK Donath Walton, Urban Unit’s Shaukat Shafi, Energy Unit’s Asad Ali and Head of Financial Sector Shuzab Ali were included in the delegation while P&D Chairman Jehanzeb Khan, Punjab Mass Transit Authority MD Sibtain Fazal-e-Haleem and others were also present on the occasion.