Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting at his office here Tuesday, to review operational and maintenance contract of Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project and said that the fare of the train would be according to the capacity of the common man and final approval will be given by the Punjab Cabinet.
The meeting decided to forward the operational and maintenance contract to the law department for a legal opinion.
The CM directed that matters relating to the contract should be settled according to rules adding that government wants to operationalise the project quickly for the benefit of the people, he added.
It may be noted that the 27.1-km long journey will be completed in 45 minutes and around 245,000 passengers will travel daily. Currently, test run of the train is going on successfully.
Secretary Transport briefed that a Chinese company NORINCO International has won the operational and maintenance contract.
Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht, MD Punjab Mass Transit Authority and secretaries of finance and transport departments attended the meeting.
Moreover, the CM in a statement said that convening of UN Security Council session for pondering over the volatile situation in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir is an important foreign policy achievement of the PTI government.
"Worst situation in Jammu & Kashmir requires the immediate attention of the international community as 163 days have passed to continuous lockdown there," he said, adding: "Oppressed Kashmiris are forced to live a miserable life being confined to their homes."
He said: "We would not sit silent over continued human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir where the situation is very serious and the government would continue to raise voice in support of oppressed Kashmiris."
Expressing a deep sense of sorrow over the loss of lives due to snowfall and rains in different parts of Azad Kashmir, the CM extended sympathies to the bereaved heirs and prayed for early recovery of the injured.
The Punjab government is available for helping the affected population and they will not be left alone in this difficult moment, he added.