- ‘200 kilometres of railway track replaced across Pakistan during last year’
- Alam says 12 Islamabad steel mills involved in causing pollution
- Ikhlas apprises postal services not included on government’s privatisation agenda
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) was informed on Thursday that the gap between demand and supply of electricity was already bridged.
Federal Minister of State for Power Abid Sher Ali informed the NA during the question-hour session that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government took power generation to 19,200 megawatts last year, which was 13, 500 megawatt in 2013.
“Power generation will likely to touch a figure of about 24,000 megawatts during summer this year,” he stated.
Ali said that revenue based power outages were being observed across the country and no discrimination was made on the basis of province or company.
The state minister added that distribution lines were also being upgraded across the country while hundred per cent mobile metre reading was ensured in the various distributing companies to avoid overbilling.
‘RENEWAL OF RAILTRACKS’:
Responding to a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Secretariat Raja Javed Ikhlas said about 200 kilometres of railway track had been replaced across Pakistan last year.
He said that about 649 kilometres of railway track was being renewed under various projects out of which replacement work on 302 kilometres length had been completed.
Answering a question, the parliamentary secretary said that 1,184 acres of railways’ land was retrieved from illegal occupies.
To a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam informed the House that the nine steel units in Islamabad have been installed, online dust monitoring system and their efficiency is being regularly monitored.
‘PRIVATE STEEL MILLS IN ISLAMABAD BEING REGULARLY MONITORED’:
The Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam here on Thursday informed the National Assembly that 12 steel mills established in the federal capital sector of I-9 and I-10 are involved in causing pollution.
Responding to question, she said that nine steel mills had installed on-line dust monitoring system, which was under monitoring by Pak-EPA and their efficiency was being regularly checked.
She said the major factor of vehicular emission is old diesel truck and buses. Diesel vehicles due to overloading, faulty injection nozzles and weak engine emit excessive graphite carbon, she added.
Romina said that during previous campaigns, Pak-EPA in collaboration with Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) had checked over 40,000 public and private vehicles for exhaust emissions in Islamabad.
“With a view to sensitise the masses on the issue of vehicular pollution, a mass awareness campaign is being prepared consisting of 10 seconds and 20 seconds media messages that will be disseminated through electronic media.”
‘POSTAL SERVICES NOT INCLUDED IN PRIVATISATION LIST’
The parliamentary secretary for cabinet division apprised the NA that postal services were not included on the government’s privatisation agenda, adding that private partnership was only being encouraged for up-gradation of postal services system.
Replying to a calling attention notice raised by an advertisement placed for Private Public Partnership with frantic timelines to hastily privatise huge government assets, he said the Post Office presented reforms agenda to the Prime Minister for revamping the postal system.
Public and private approval was given in only three sectors including mobile money order, parcel and logistic and rehabilitation of infrastructure of post offices, he said.
Javed said Pakistan Post was the oldest national institution, adding that it had been providing facilities to the people in far-flung areas despite unfavourable condition.
He said unfortunately, no past government paid attention for revamping of the Pakistan Post.
Javed said Pakistan Post was generating Rs.7.5 billion revenue through mobile money orders and its collection would be ensured despite private-partnership.
He said Pakistan Post was still running in loss of Rs.8-10 billion annually despite huge operation across the country and needed complete restructuring.
