He gave this approval while presiding over a meeting of the provincial cabinet at Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Saturday.
Addressing the cabinet meeting, Shahbaz said Pakistan was facing serious crisis of energy which was leaving negative impacts on all sectors including agriculture, industry, trade and foreign investment. He said the government was working on various projects for getting energy through alternative sources and the Punjab Power Development Company had been set up in the province for this purpose. The chief minister said a plan of 120 Megawatts hydro power project at Taunsa had been prepared and a formal approval to this project was given in the cabinet meeting.
He said during his visit to China, an agreement would be signed with the Chinese company China Water and Electric Corporation. Similarly, the same company would also carry out a survey of mapping of wind power potential in Punjab for generating energy through wind.
Shahbaz said the government would not have to provide any financial resources in this regard as the Chinese company would bear all expenses for carrying out this survey. The government would seek cooperation of companies of other countries in the projects of generating energy through wind, he said. The meeting also reviewed in detail the law and order situation in the province and commended the performance of Punjab police over successful operation against the outlaws involved in heinous crimes in the Kacha area of Rajanpur. The meeting expressed gratitude to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for providing equipment and logistic support during this operation. Shahbaz stressed that law enforcement agencies should make intelligence system and exchange of information more effective so that timely action could be ensured against anti-social elements. He said an effective system would be evolved for checking of all important places including inns, hotels and guest houses and if any police official demonstrated negligence in this regard, strict action should be taken against him.
The chief minister directed that a plan should be formulated for inducting new blood in police force for meeting the shortage of jawans in police, and also sought recommendations from the inspector general of police and the home secretary in this regard.
The chief minister directed the inspector general of police that if hideouts of the outlaws involved in heinous crimes were found anywhere, they should be hit hard and the government would provide all possible resources for this purpose.
He said a vigilant eye should also be kept on those areas in future where operation against heinous crimes had been carried out.
Shahbaz directed that the process of preparations should be started from averting any possible flood in future and wherever repair of protective spurs is needed, these should be repaired and strengthened immediately.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khan gave briefing about energy projects in the province. Secretary Irrigation Rab Nawaz Khan highlighted important aspects of Taunsa Hydro-Power Project and wind power projects.
IGP Javed Iqbal while narrating the details of operation against the criminals said 196 culprits involved in heinous crimes had been arrested in Rajanpur.
He told that approval had been given to 41 Riverine Posts in the province and the construction work of these posts was going on.
He further informed that 49 motorboats would also be provided to these posts, which would further improve the performance of police deployed in these areas.
