Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Wednesday said that the Punjab government will construct new parking plazas in Lahore, asking the trading community to identify land for this purpose.
“Am saddened over losses of traders due to Hafeez Centre fire and steps will be taken for compensation for the losses in light of recommendations of a committee constituted for this purpose.”
The chief minister said while talking to a delegation of Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) led by its President Mian Tariq Misbah ur Rehman. The delegation called on Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and discussed matters about the trade and industrialists.
The CM assured of early resolve to the problems, saying that PTI government is business-friendly and his office is always open to the business community. The government is creating the culture of ease of doing business to promote trade and industry, he added. The LCCI’s one-window operation model will be extended to industrial estates and abolishing of the annual fee of Hajj and Umrah tour operators will be reviewed. The water tariff issue will also be solved and the committee under Commissioner Lahore will be reactivated to resolve the problems of the commercial markets.
LCCI senior vice president Muhammad Nasir Hameed, vice president Tahir Manzoor Ch., member Shahrukh Jamal and secretary industries were also present.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting to review steps for dealing with smog and decided in-principle to the proposal of plying electric rickshaws and vehicles in the province along with the installation of biogas plants. A smog-monitoring cell has also been set up in PDMA.
Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht, Chief Secretary, SMBR, ACS (LG), secretaries of agriculture, transport, industries, environment, energy and housing departments, DIG (Traffic), DG PDMA and others attended the meeting.
The CM was told that 43 percent smog is the result of vehicular emissions and powers have been delegated to districts for taking steps to deal with an increase in air quality index. 204 FIRs have been lodged in two days due to smog-related activities besides challan of 11,685 vehicles and 109 industries. The meeting decided to shut conventional brick-kiln from November 7 in the whole of the province while the brick-kiln operating on zigzag technology will continue to function.
Meanwhile, CM Sardar Usman Buzdar extended felicitations to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the national day of the Republic of Turkey.
The CM stated Pakistan and Turkey are intertwined in the historic relations of brotherhood and hearts of people of both countries beat in unison. The brotherly relations have been further strengthened in the tenure of PM Imran Khan, he added.
