Says students to get e-bikes without down payment, extra charges
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a special meeting to review the Model Village Project and received a detailed briefing on the initiative and ongoing projects.
The meeting was informed that sewerage, drainage and brick-paved streets projects were progressing rapidly in more than 3,500 villages across Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz approved the introduction of community-based organisations for the Model Village Project. A principle decision was also taken to involve assistant commissioners, community health mobilisers, Union Council secretaries, headmasters and other relevant stakeholders in rural development projects.
The meeting also agreed to assign members of the provincial assembly the responsibility of monitoring rural development projects.
The chief minister directed that drainage and sewerage problems in villages across Punjab be resolved on a priority basis and ordered that village streets be paved and beautified. I cannot see people suffering from broken streets and stagnant, dirty water, she said. Providing drainage, sewerage and paved streets in every village is the government s responsibility.
Meanwhile, presiding over a special meeting to review the scheme, Maryam Nawaz rejected proposals for charging students a down payment or any amount other than the monthly instalment under the CM Maryam Nawaz E-Bike Scheme , directing that the facility remain affordable for talented male and female students.
She agreed in principle to fix the monthly instalment at around Rs3,000. The Punjab government will bear the interest and insurance costs of the e-bikes.
More than 125,000 e-bikes will be provided to eligible students under the scheme, while the chief minister also approved in principle the gradual expansion of its scope to government employees, departments and public delivery riders.
CM Maryam Nawaz directed the authorities to open the e-bike portal this week and make arrangements to provide e-bikes to eligible students within six weeks.
The meeting was informed that helmets and safety rods would be provided free of cost with the e-bikes, which would be equipped with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
On the chief minister s directives, aspiring students would also be provided free two-day training in e-bike driving.
