How much prices of electricity & gas would go up on directions of IMF: Nawaz Sharif
LAHORE, March 18 (SABAH): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that how much prices of electricity and gas would go up on the directions of International Monetary Fund (IMF). He said how long the patience of the people would be tested.
A special meeting of the government of Punjab was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. The meeting was attended by provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, Minister for Food Bilal Yasin, Minister for Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, MPA Sania Asiq Jabeen, chief secretary, SMBR, secretaries food, agriculture, finance, chairman PITB and other relative authorities.
During the briefing, the meeting was told that in the past subsidy for the well off and the poor was same. Circular debt of 630 billion rupees is being born by the government. Only 25 crore rupees was being paid under the head of loan of debt. The government has ended general subsidy on wheat.
In the meeting, it was decided that solar panels would be given to the farmers for tube wells. Nawaz Sharif directed that issue of expensive electricity for small farmers should be sorted out.
According to media report, Nawaz Sharif questioned that how much prices of electricity and gas would go up on the directions of IMF. How long the patience of the people would be tested, he added.
He issued directions for giving solar panels to the farmers and added government’s money should be consumed on this. He said the growers should be paid back what he invests. He said the farmers should be saved from exploitation of middle man and mills.
Maryam Nawaz said that farmers would be given state-of-the-art machinery and added drip irrigation would also be tested as this technique saves water in meager prices. The chief minister ordered to make comprehensive strategy to control those people who sell fertilizers at higher prices.