Shehbaz Sharif says load-shedding will be eliminated forever due to concrete measures taken by the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif
LAHORE OCT 2 (TNS): An agreement has been signed between the famous Chinese Energy Company China Machinery Engineering Corporation and Punjab government for setting up a 1263-megawatt LNG-fueled power plant in Jhang.
The project will be completed in twenty-six months, and it will start generating 810MW within fourteen months.
According to the agreement, the Chinese company will establish this project near to Trimu Barrage in Jhang. As much as 810 megawatt electricity will be produced from Punjab Power Plant in a short period of 14 months while a total of 1263 megawatt electricity will be included in the national grid after the completion of the project in 26 months.
Ahad Cheema, Chief Executive Officer of the Punjab Thermal Power Company signed the agreement on behalf of the Punjab government while Mr. Fung Yung Choy, Vice President signed the agreement on behalf of the China Machinery Engineering Corporation. Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was the chief guest of the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Shehbaz Sharif said load-shedding will be eliminated forever due to concrete measures taken by the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab government has decided to install a gas-based 1263 megawatt power plant in Jhang from its own resources and added that an agreement with the Chinese Company has been signed to implement the project.
He said despite many impediments and difficulties, the untiring efforts made by the PML-N government to overcome the load-shedding have started giving results. The world is witnessed to it that the government of Pakistan has burnt the midnight oil to deal with the challenges of load-shedding during the last four years.
He said that the country was facing acute energy crisis during the last 15 years and lack of electricity tremendously weakened the national economy. The load-shedding not only amplified the problems of the people but this menace resulted in weakening the industrial sector and also affected health, education and social sectors, as well.
“We are thankful to Almighty Allah that the PML-N government has succeeded in dealing with the challenge of load-shedding. The load-shedding will be completely vanished from Pakistan at the end of this year or at the start of next year. Due to the sincere efforts of the incumbent government, the load-shedding has become a story of the past and it will never return,” Shehbaz Sharif said.
The chief minister said the agreement signed with the Chinese Company for 1263 megawatt electricity project is an important achievement which will prove a last nail in the coffin of load-shedding.
Due to the completion of this project, electricity will be available in abundance for trade, agriculture and industrial sectors and we will also be able to sell electricity to India, Afghanistan and Iran.
He said the first phase of project will be completed in 14 months and it will produce 810 megawatt electricity; while the completion of the project in 26 months will result in producing 1263 megawatt electricity. Work on energy projects is being carried out expeditiously throughout the country under the CPEC. Sahiwal Coal Power Plant has been completed while Port Qasim Coal Power Plant will also be generating electricity this year.
“Our sincere friend China has provided fullest support to overcome the energy crisis and we are thankful to the Chinese government, its leadership and the people,” the Chief Minister remarked.
Shehbaz Sharif lamented the fact that a part of the media is not behaving conscientiously. It, rather, is ruining the national direction instead of performing any national service with its mendacity, misstatements, wrong analyses and discussions. He said that there is no other example of implementation of energy projects in the 70 years history of the country with such speed and transparency.
The PML-N government has moved these energy projects further for the development and prosperity of the country. The Bhikki, Balluki and Haveli Bahadur Shah’s 3600 megawatt gas-based power plants are generating electricity. 1320 megawatt Sahiwal Coal Power Plant is fully functional.
Meanwhile, 400 megawatt solar energy power plants are also setup in Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur and a Turkish Company is installing 300 megawatt solar power plant with a tariff of 6 cent and 5.15 cent. These energy projects are an example of their own with regard to transparency and savings of billions of rupees are also made in these projects.
He regretted that some media channels are gossiping about corruption in energy projects and are immersed in the baseless propaganda that Sharif Brothers setup no new project without corruption and commission. These channels could not bring out corruption of even a single penny in these projects and it was better for them that they, at least, had praised this humble national service and appreciated the laborers, officers and other people working on these projects.
“You should not forget the corruption to the tune of billions of rupees in rental power plants. The machinery of Nandipur Power Plant remained rusted at the Karachi Port for three long years and the then Federal Minister Babar Awan hide the file of this project in the draw of his table. Due to this, the poor nation had to face a loss of billions of rupees.”
The media should also remember that how the nation was hoodwinked in the name of Diamir Bhasha Dam. The PML-N government has purchased land for this project with Rs.100 billion now and the work on Dasu Dam has also been started.
“We are all Pakistanis and if we have failed to set the directions of national prosperity, then we will be lost in darkness forever,” he said.
He added that there are anchors and journalists who speak day and night for the cause of the country and claim to bring out true picture before the people. It is the need of the time that the media should guide the nation about various challenges faced by the country including energy crisis, terrorism and political instability, because there is no other effective medium existing.
“If a part of the media could not bring out good news and truth, then it should not make Pakistan eat a humble pie before the comity of the nations with its falsehood and misstatements. For the sake of Allah, don’t speak lies; don’t bend the national directions and let Pakistan move further.
“The wrong should be said wrong and the drawbacks should be highlighted if there are any, because the nation expects so from you, but for the sake of Almighty Allah, do not deceive the nation by saying lies. Whom this section of the media wants to benefit by presenting wrong analyses and falsehood,” he said.
He said the next generations will not forgive if truth is hidden and the nation is deceived with fabrication. The nation should be guided by keeping the fear of Allah in the heart and mind.
He urged the media to correctly guide the nation on national issues with honesty. He said that the State of Pakistan should be treated as dearly as like their children. This way, Pakistan shall emerge as the greatest nation and it will be transformed as a Pakistan of Iqbal and Jinnah. He said that the time is not far away when Pakistani nation will emerge as a strong entity to be respected by all and this will be the Pakistan of Iqbal and Jinnah.
He said that media is witness to it that energy projects were signed during the last two years and these projects have been completed by working round the clock. I not only give the credit to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N government, but it is a victory of 21 crore people Pakistan as it is a story of continued struggle, honesty and trust. There is no other example of speedy implementation of energy projects in the 70 years history of the country. It appears that some genie and not the humans have worked over these projects.
The Chief Minister said that he is not criticizing anybody but giving good news to the people that another plant of 1263 megawatt capacity is going to be started. He said that new technology will be introduced due to the installment of Punjab Power Plant.
He said that Guddu Power Plant, which was established six years ago, was set up at a tariff of 8.5 lakh dollars per megawatt while three gas-based power plants of 3600 megawatt capacity have been installed at a cost of 4.20 lakh dollars per megawatt. I am giving a comparison of 1263 megawatt Punjab Power Plant Project with these initiatives; this project will be set up with Rs.10 billion less cost as compared to these three projects. The people will benefit from these projects as they will be provided cheap electricity.
The Vice President of China Machinery Engineering Corporation, Fung Yung Choy said, in his address, that best work has been done with regard to development in the Punjab and due to the policies of the Punjab government; we have been motivated to work with it. Punjab Power Plant will be an example of its own with regard to transparency and this initiative will be a benchmark and we will complete this project in the scheduled timeframe.
Senior Executive Vice President of Siemens Mr. Jean Claude Nasr said that Lahore is an important city of Pakistan and we are happy to work here. Shehbaz Sharif has a great vision for the development and prosperity of the people and the Punjab Power Plant will transfer new technology to the country. CEO Punjab Thermal Power Limited Company Ahad Cheema briefed about various features of the 1263 megawatt Punjab Power Plant.
Provincial Ministers, Members of the Assembly, Parliamentarians from district Jhang, Deputy Consul General of China, officials of the Chinese company, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D and high officials of the Punjab government also attended the ceremony.
