Staff Reporter
Green loan scheme has been launched for Brick kilns owners. Under the scheme, soft loans are being provided to the Brick kilns owners on easy installments for the transfer of kilns to Zig Zag technology. Under this scheme, a loan of Rs 1 Million with the mark up of 3 to 4% will be issued. The loans are being issued under the Prime Minister’s Kamyab Nojawan Program and the Punjab Government’s Rozgar Scheme. The Punjab government is providing subsidy for the transfer of ZigZag technology to kilns across the province. The Scheme is launched under Punjab Disasters Management Authority with the collaboration of BOP.
The scheme was announced by Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht while presiding over a meeting of the Anti-Smog Committee. Minister told the meeting that Under the program, the Bank of Punjab and the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) have jointly carved out a strategy and way forward to ensure facilitation of the Brick Kiln owners through Facilitation Centers being set up at Tehsil level to ensure provision of the required funding and conversion of the maximum number of Brick Kilns to Zig Zag technology.
The provincial minister informed the meeting that on the recommendations of committee smog since the smog has been declared a disaster, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) is cracking down against the smoke-producing elements to eliminate smog. The traditional Brick Kiln sector along with vehicular pollution is one of the major contributors to environmental pollution and smog in the province. The best solution to the problem was to shift the brick kilns to modern technology instead of putting the business of the brickkiln owners and the working class at stake. During the anti-smog operations, the PDMA ensured the transfer of more than 60 per cent of the kiln in the province to ZigZag technology. PDMA recommends providing financial assistance to kilns owners for transformation of kilns to zigzag technology as they are facing financial problems. The Green Loan Scheme will ensure the transfer of the remaining kilns to modern technology.
He said that the objective of the scheme is smog free green Punjab. The kiln owners should support the Punjab government for a cleaner environment and smog free environment for future generations.
