Nawaz questions hike in power, gas tariff amid IMF pressure

• PML-N supremo wonders how hike in rates can be stopped.
• Former premier calls for resolving issue of expensive electricity.
• Small farmers should be provided solar panels, Nawaz says.

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo, Nawaz Sharif, questioned the hike in rates of electricity and gas following the directions by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a The News report stated on Tuesday.

The former prime minister, when speaking during a meeting of the Punjab government alongside Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, raised concerns regarding the increase in power and gas tariffs, wondering how it could be stopped.

The PML-N supremo, when commenting on the unprecedented inflation, also asked for how would the nation's patience be tested, calling on authorities to resolve the problem of expensive electricity for small farmers by providing them solar panels.

Senior provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information Minister Azma Bukhari, Transport Minister Bilal Akbar, MPA Sania Ashiq, provincial chief secretary, Planning and Development Board chairman, Transport secretary and other officials concerned were also present at the meeting.

The former premier said a small farmer should get full reward for his hard work and should be saved from exploitation at the hands of big farmers and millers.

During the meeting, Nawaz and the Punjab CM called for a plan for an underground train project in Lahore, while a decision was reached in principle that the metro bus project would be launched in three more cities of the province.

Nawaz requested the provincial government to increase the number of bikes for students. He said monthly instalment of bikes for students should be kept minimum, as it was a responsibility of the government to share the financial burden of students. He said bus fare for public should also be fixed at the minimum possible.

The meeting was informed that 19,000 petrol and 1,000 electric bikes would be given to students on monthly instalments without any interest. Monthly instalment of petrol bike would be less than Rs5,000 per month and instalment of e-bike would be less than Rs10,000 per month. In villages, 70% quota was reserved for male students and 30% for female students. The CM ordered that schedule for receiving applications for bikes should be announced before Eid.

CM Maryam called a comprehensive plan for providing solar panels to farmers in Punjab and decided in principle that the government would give farmers solar panels for running tube-wells. She promised that farmers would be provided modern machinery and drip irrigation would also be introduced to save water and reduce costs. She directed that a comprehensive strategy should be formulated to check the mafia selling fertilisers at higher rates.

The meeting was also informed that 300 hybrid diesel buses would be bought for Lahore, 78 for Rawalpindi, 100 for Multan, 110 for Faisalabad and 42 for Bahawalpur, and 27 electric buses would be operated in Lahore.