LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif has said that due to criminal negligence of the former rulers, presently the whole country is facing serious crisis of electricity and all the sectors of life including agriculture and industries are badly suffering from it. According to a hand out issued on Saturday, the CM expressed these views during a briefing given by Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ahsraf on current power crisis in the country and talking to the representatives of the media at CM Secretariat here on Saturday. He said that had General Musharraf paid attention to the projects of water reservoirs and energy generation instead of calling for his uniform and power then the country has not been facing this darkness. He said the whole nation was suffering from power crisis. Unemployment and unrest was increasing due to closure of industries and the people were protesting, he added. He said that the effective measures will have to be taken for bringing the nation out of these difficult conditions. He further said that we will have to make management of electricity and its distribution system justifiable and spent the resources on the welfare of the people by promoting the culture of austerity. He said that federal and provincial governments will have to prove to the people that only public welfare was their mission and all the resources were being made available for this purpose. He said that a special committee comprising senior officers of WAPDA, traders and industrialists should be constituted for removing the reservations of industrialists and traders and lessening the difficulties created due to load-shedding. Senior Advisor Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Provincial Minister for Finance Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Senior Political Assistant Pervez Malik, Federal Secretary for Water & Power, Chairman WAPDA, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning & Development, Secretary Irrigation, Secretary Industries, Presidents of various Chambers of Commerce and Industry, traders and industrialists also attended the meeting. Managing Director PEPCO gave a detailed briefing about different projects and measures regarding current power crisis and future power generation. The CM said we will have to make solid measures for bringing the country out of crisis and solve the power shortage problems amicably with national spirit. He said a number of measures have been taken for the promotion of culture of austerity and simplicity during the past one year in Punjab. The purpose of these measures was to curtail expenditures and spend them on the welfare of the people, he added. He said that distribution of electricity should be made justifiable so that neither provinces have any objection nor industrialists and traders should face difficulties. He said that after saving electricity it should be provided to agriculture and industrial sector so that our industries can continue their production as well as the poor should also earn their livelihood. Federal Minister for Water & Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf informed the meeting that all sectors are suffering from power crisis and people are facing difficulties but we are utilizing all out resources for bringing the country and nation out of crises. He said that former government neither included a single new electricity unit nor made such plan in this regard as a result of which the whole country is facing the problem of loadshedding. He said that the government is taking small, medium and long term measures for resolving this issue which will result in improvement in the situation. He said that the situation also worsened due to fault in Mangla Dam, however, it has been partially restored and after its complete restoration in September, load management situation will be improved. He said that he will visit all Chambers of Commerce & Industry and held negotiations with traders and industrialists regarding power crises. He said that on the proposal of Punjab Chief Minister, a high level committee comprising Secretary Water & Power, Chairman WAPDA, MD PEPCO and representatives of industrialists and traders is being constituted which will meet in Islamabad on Monday, July 13. He said that he fully agrees to the CMs proposal of austerity and after saving electricity, maximum power could be saved and provided to the industries. He also highlighted in detail the measures of the federal government being taken to overcome the energy crisis. Chairman WAPDA and MD PEPCO while giving details regarding measures being taken to overcome energy crisis said that 32 small dams are being constructed while by the cooperation of Asian Development Bank funds are also available for the construction of Dia Mir Bhasha Dam. They said that work will soon be started on this project which will result in generation of 4500MW of electricity. Earlier, Presidents Chambers of Commerce & Industry and representatives of traders organisations apprised of difficulties being faced due to loadshedding of electricity. They informed that industrial sector has been ruined due to loadshedding and the labourers are compelled on starvation. They said that exports are also badly affected due to power crises. They also demanded for justifiable distribution of power in the country.