SHEIKHUPURA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that his government was working hard to overcome the shortage of electricity and end loadshedding by 2018.

He was speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Bhikki Power project here. The project, to be completed in 2017, would add 1,180MW to the national grid. It would be jointly commissioned by Harben Electric International of China and the General Electric Company of the United States.

Mr Sharif said that Nepra had estimated the project cost at Rs95 billion, but the Punjab government estimates put it at Rs55 billion. He said the government’s objective was not only to overcome the shortage of electricity but also to reduce its cost.

The project’s ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Punjab Governor Rafiq Rijwana, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Shabaz Sharif said the Bhikki project’s contract had been awarded to a reputed Chinese company and funds for it would be provided by the Punjab government.

He said other major projects such as Gaddu, Bhawalpur Solar plant, Sahiwal and Havali Bhadar Shah were nearing completion and the government had saved Rs110 billion on them.

He also said the government was committed to eliminating the menace of terrorism from the country and praised the role of the armed forces in the fight against terrorism.

APP adds: The prime minister said the country was heading towards economic revival. Those who levelled baseless allegations against the government lacked the ability to understand the affairs of the government. Those who were criticising the government just for the sake of criticism were doing no service to the masses, he added.

The prime minister claimed that inflation was at its lowest in the country’s history and all economic indicators were positive.

Published in Dawn, October 10th , 2015

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