LAHORE: All options are being explored and considered thoroughly for uninterrupted power supply to the industry to give a quantum boost to the industrial production and create more jobs in Punjab.
Provincial Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique stated this in a media briefing at Civil Secretariat on Wednesday, while the Punjab Industries Department's Secretary Dr. Shuja and Additional Secretary (Admin) Muhammad Akhtar also accompanied him.
To a question, the Provincial Minister said that the energy crisis had since long been prevailing that either reduced or halted the industrial production, that was why the newly elected PML-N's federal as well as Punjab governments were focusing the alternate energy resources- solar, biomass, biogas and wind in addition to main electricity generation components of hydel and thermal.
Following the Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's directives, the Punjab government had been in constant liaison with the electricity generation companies of China, Autralia, Japan, Germany and other local and foreign investors for joint ventures to improve the energy supply situation especially to the industry in an effort to keep its wheel on the move, he added.
Chuadhry Shafique said the government was focusing the projects, which ensure the energy generation in a minimum time period and with a low-cost so as to narrow down the power demand and supply gap at the earliest. "Once the load-shedding problem is overcome, all the sectors of economy will grow automatically at a fast pace," he observed.
To question, the provincial minister said that a committee had been formed and tasked to check and monitor the edible prices and their availability in the markets-Sunday or make-shift bazaars during the holy month of Ramadan.
The Punjab government, he mentioned, had also set aside a hefty grant of Rs 5 billion in the annual budget 2013-14 for provision of edibles to the people at subsidized rates.
To another question, he said that he had directed the officers concerned to issue no objection certificate (NOC) for industrial boilers after conducting their detailed inspection for safety and protection of the labourers from boiler explosion or any other unwanted incident at the industrial unit.
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