LAHORE - The Punjab government has decided to shift 15,000 schools and 700 Basic Health Units (BHUs) to solar system. 

Decision to this effect was taken in a meeting held yesterday with Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair. It reviewed progress on programme to spread the use of solar energy in the province with the cooperation of Asian Development Bank (ADP) and AFD Bank of France.

Matters relating to progress on 100MW solar power agreement signed with renowned Turkish company Zorlu Energi also came under discussion. The meeting decided to shift 15,000 schools, 700 BHUs and University of Bahawalpur on solar energy. The rest of schools will also be covered under this programme at a later stage. 

The chief minister ordered constitution of a steering committee under his chair to speed up the use of solar energy. He directed that steps should be taken to increase the productivity of energy department on priority basis. The chief minister noted that 100 MW solar power plant funded by the Punjab government was adding energy in the national grid.

The meeting was told that an agreement has also been signed with the renowned Turkish company Zorlu Energi and this company is installing the 100 MW solar power plant in Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur which will be completed in six months. Besides, the Turkish company also wanted to install solar power plant of 200 MW more in Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur and negotiation with the company will follow soon.

Chairman Planning and Development, Secretary Higher Education, Secretary School Education, Secretary Health, Secretary Finance, Secretary Energy and other relevant authorities also attended the meeting.

Also, Shahbaz Sharif said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Pakistan is fast becoming a progressive and developed country and the projects of PML-N are examples of prevailing transparency in the country.

He was talking to delegation of PML-N, the chief minister said that government was spending every single penny of our national resources on public welfare projects with integrity and honesty.

The chief minister said that the people of Pakistan want progress and development and a conspiracy has been made to stop Pakistan’s journey to progress through lock down and agitation but with the blessings of Allah Almighty and the appreciation and support of public at large this conspiracy has been failed.

Those who were involved in this agitation and sits-in had done nothing except wasting the precious time of this nation and country. Negative politics of sit-ins delayed development projects in the country. Those who planned conspiracies against Pakistan’s progress and development have been exposed before the masses. The former corrupt rulers who looted Pakistan during their rule are now protesting against corruption which means “Thieves are making noise”.

The former rulers who plundered national exchequer are now becoming so-called champions to curb corruption in the country. This ‘Dharna’ group and these corrupt former rulers never left any opportunity to destroy Pakistan. By looting and hampering Pakistan’s progress and development through sits-in and agitation, these people proved themselves as enemies of Pakistan. In the last three and half years, this ‘dharna’ group has done nothing except making baseless allegations. Change cannot come with the help of those who didn’t pay their loans and were involved in land grabbing, he added. The chief minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif there is peace and development in the country and the culture of transparency is promoting and it is hard for our opponents to digest all this.

In the general elections of 2018, politics based on truthfulness and transparency will win and the people will once again reject all those who are involved in negative politics.

The chief minister said that from the last three and half years, the PML-N government is serving the masses and is endeavoring hard to resolve the problems faced by the country and consequently pave the way for the progress and development of the country and under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif this agenda of Pakistan’s progress and development will complete at every cost.