River Ravi Commission: LCCI expresses reservations about proceedings

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday expressed serious reservations for keeping it in the dark about the proceedings of River Ravi Commission by the Environment Department.

The LCCI Acting President Kashif Younis Meher in a statement said the LCCI, for being one of the stakeholders, wanted to give some valuable suggestions for the preparation of a sustainable roadmap for restoration of natural ecology of River Ravi but surprisingly neither it was informed of the formation of the Commission nor was taken onboard while issuing notices to as many as 1300 industries working in the vicinity.

There is no second opinion about it that the pollution is one of the issues that needs to be tackled on urgent basis but at the same time it is also absolutely necessary that all the members of the Commission should be taken onboard for initiating an action by the Environment Department.

He urged the Chairperson of the River Ravi Commission Dr Kosar Abdullah Malik to issue directions to the Environment Department to discontinue the steps of harassment against the industry without due consultation and immediately convene a meeting of the Commission so that the future line of action could be evolved.

Meanwhile, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry also urged the Punjab government to immediately stop the officials of EOBI from unduly harassing the businessmen by repeatedly visiting their business premises.

It is very unfortunate that some provincial departments were vitiating the business atmosphere in the province and thus putting a reverse gear to all government efforts aimed at expediting economic activities in this part of the country, he said.

At a time when both the trade and industry are facing multiple internal and external challenges and no new local or foreign investor is ready to put his money in any new venture in the province, the bureaucracy is busy in making moves against the existing businesses but the business community would not accept such tactics, Mehar added.

The LCCI Acting President said the Lahore Chamber, since its very inception, is striving for the promotion of trade and industry but the recent EOBI officials' visits to various industrial units is calculated move to thwart these efforts and bound to cause massive lay-offs.

"When these units will be forced to stop their operations, the hundreds and thousands daily wagers attached with these industrial units would definitely take to the streets," he added.

He said that the business community was unable to understand that when the Chief Minister Punjab himself was leading street protests against power and gas shortages and fully aware of the problems of the business community then at whose behest the EOBI officials were harassing the businessmen and creating hurdles for smooth running of the businesses.