Punjab needs further improvement in governance; Old mindset must be changed in Naya Pakistan
Staff Reporter
Lahore
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday announced the government’s decision to take concrete measures to curb air pollution in the country saying that over the past 10 years, a 70 per cent decline had been witnessed in the number of trees in the city.
Addressing a press conerence here on Saturday, he said that with a dense tree cover, pollution particles are absorbed by the leaves. And with them being cut, the city had faced a great loss.
The premier noted that while crop burning in India and Pakistan as well as smoke from factories and brick kilns are all contributing factors to air pollution, the biggest contributor is vehicular smoke. “What adds the most to air pollution is transport. [To combat] this, we have made certain decisions,” he said.
He said that Pakistan relies on 50-60 per cent of imports for oil and currently imports oil that meets the European Union’s Euro 2 emission standard. “We have decided we will import a more clean (environmental friendly) oil, [which will meet] the Euro 4 standard.”
“[This Euro 4 compliant oil] has fewer chemicals which pollute the air. By the end of 2020, we will shift to the Euro 5 emission standard. We feel this will have a 90 per cent impact on the quality of air.”
He said that the decisions had been made after a detailed meeting with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on petroleum division, Nadeem Babar. Announcing other measures, the prime minister said that oil refineries will be given a period of three years to improve the quality of oil produced. “The quality they are producing has a lot of pollutants.”
“If they do not move towards producing cleaner oil in this time, we will shut them down,” warned the premier. He also announced that the government had decided to shift the focus of the auto industry towards electric vehicles. “We are holding talks with the car industries, because they have certain reservations.”
The prime minister said that an incentive policy will be introduced in 2020. He said the new government policy will lay special emphasis on buses. “The buses that run across our cities will either be hybrid vehicles or electric. Or, we may insist on CNG, like in Delhi, where they run buses only on CNG.”
Speaking of the practice whereby farmers burn rice crop after its harvest, the premier said that imported machinery will be brought in which will facilitate the farmers to make use of the post-harvest crop, making it possible for it to be sold. This will ensure that there is no need to burn the crop, drastically reducing the air pollution caused otherwise.
He then spoke of steel factories and brick kilns, “which are the main sources of the hazardous, fine air particles known as PM2.5”. The prime minister said that import duties on scrubbers will be removed, so that the steel factories can purchase them. Scrubbers are systems that use liquid (typically water) to remove particulates from industrial exhaust streams.
He said that similarly brick kilns will be financially aided by the government to use zigzag technology which will reduce air pollution. Turning to Lahore, he said that an urban forestry initiative will be undertaken in the city. “We have identified 60,000 kanals of land where we will grow trees so they can clean the city’s air.”
“Pollution is a silent killer, unlike when you witness an accident or a murder. And it is very dangerous,” he said.
Meanwhile, addressing a ceremony of Service Level Agreement between Punjab Lang Record Authority and major private commercial banks for rapid agri loans, he said future of Punjab is bright but needs more improvement in its governance system. He said national economy is gradually picking up and stabilizing as a result of the government s initiatives.
While appreciating performance of CM Punjab he said more hard work is required to get good results. He said civilized societies do not differ in rich and poor and government is collecting data for its largest Ehsas Program.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the provision of loan to the small farmers and small and medium industry was the government’s priority for both being the major sources of employment and poverty alleviation. He said it was a revolution to ease out the procedural difficulties the farmers had to face to get credit so far.
Under the agreement, a digital link would be established between the central database of land records and the banks which would verify the status of land of the farmers reducing the loan processing time from 30 days to three days and just after three visits of the bank.
He said through this initiative, a common farmer would get agriculture loan by visiting a bank and getting his land record verified without any hassle. “This is a revolution… This is a beginning and a tremendous job. Because getting loans by the small farmers has almost been impossible so far.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, chairing a meeting of provincial bureaucracy and senior police officers, asked the bureaucrats to work on merit and serve the masses. Speaking about the improvement in the economy, the prime minister stressed that a capable bureaucracy has an important role for economic development of the country.
“The appointments in bureaucracy and other posts have been made on merit,” PM Imran said. “The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf government has freed officers from any political interference.”
The premier further said there was a need to improve governance and law and order in Punjab. “We have to change the old mind set in Naya Pakistan as the old system can no longer work.”
He added that efforts should be expedited to bring improvement in the lives of poor people. The prime minister said the police department enjoys legal authority but this power should only be used to serve the masses and bring improvement in the lives of the people.
The meeting was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Special Assistant to the PM on Information and Broadcast Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to PM on Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development Zulfiqar Bukhari, Barrister Shahzad Akbar, Punjab chief secretary and inspector general of Punjab police. The prime minister is on a day long visit to Lahore to review progress on developmental and welfare projects being completed in the province.
