Punjab declared ‘Regional Champion’ for environmental improvement
Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif met a high-level delegation led by the World Bank Regional Vice President Martin Raiser on Monday.
Martin Raiser declared Punjab a ‘Regional Champion’ for taking effective measures with regard to environmental improvement. It was agreed in the meeting to undertake joint measures for poverty alleviation, making further improvements in the IT, infrastructure sectors, resolving environmental problems and social development.
Matters pertaining to accelerating the pace of ongoing World Bank projects in Punjab along with launching new projects were also discussed.
Martin Raiser appreciated CM Punjab’s public welfare projects. He added that Punjab’s projects are in conformity with the World Bank’s ‘country partnership’. The delegation offered their complete cooperation for environmental improvement along with improving sanitation system in the province.
The World Bank delegation declared the initiative to merge the Population Welfare Department with the Health Department as appreciable.
The Chief Minister appreciated the World Bank’s collaboration for the uplift and prosperity of Punjab. She said, “We seek further assistance by the World Bank in education, health, tourism, and environment projects. Special training programmes have been introduced to enable the youth in Punjab to link with the global IT market. Punjab Clean Air Program is being launched with the support of the World Bank.”
She added, “Electric buses, rickshaws, and bikes will be introduced under the Punjab Clean Air Programme. Vehicle Inspection Stations are being established with the support of the World Bank. Eliminating environmental pollution is a matter of survival and support of the World Bank being provided is valuable in this regard. “We will continue to collaborate with the World Bank to accelerate the journey of development,” she said.
Martin Raiser said, “The World Bank wants to further strengthen its partnership with Pakistan, especially Punjab. The Punjab government has taken exemplary steps in education, IT along with coping up with hazards of climate change in the province.”
