The provincial government of Punjab has decided to complete the long-delayed Orange Line Metro Train Project at the earliest.
Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan issued instructions to the relevant authorities to expedite work on the project and complete it at the earliest.
While chairing a high-level meeting in Lahore, the minister directed Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the district administration to quick completion of the project so that the escalating cost wouldn’t hurt the national exchequer.
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“PML-N government did no good to the nation by launching project which will turn into a white elephant. The government cannot afford the rising cost by delaying a mega project like Orange Line,” said Aleem Khan on Wednesday.
The minister also said the Punjab government will not be able to provide a subsidy for the project for an extended period and would look to generate income from Orange Line train stations to minimise the burden.
“We’re looking at the possibilities to generate income from the train stations so that the government would not have to bear the losses in a longer run,” added the minister.
He hinted at commercialising the train stations by giving it to banks and other organisations for advertising purposes.
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He was of the opinion that public projects should be self-sufficient and should not rely much on the subsidies.
Previously, the PTI-led Punjab government had announced it was withdrawing subsidies on Metro projects that were costing billions of rupees every year to the exchequer.
The Orange Line Train Saga
Former CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif had launched Orange Line Metro Project in late 2014 with the collaboration of China.
So far, the project cost has reached Rs 250 billion and it is yet to be finalised. When it comes to run this 27 Kilometre-long automated rapid transit project, it will put a burden of Rs 3.5 billion on the national exchequer.
The fact that such a mega project was straight up outsourced to china without looking at local options, should give clear picture about the level of commissions involved.
The new Govt. cannot take the risk of leaving such a project midway, especially when everywhere the land is dug up and causing others trouble. They have to finish it. However, unlike the PML-N Govt who just love to waste more money towards their own goons in the same of subsidies, this Govt. can actually try to let the finished project run on it’s own, with minimum support from the Govt.
some parts of the project were outsourced to china. Our local companies didn’t have the expertise in those ares. The subsidy the project gets is for he the poor, who will mostly use the service. Workers on daily wages can come to the city and save money on transport, they’ll have more money to feed their families. But i guess madinah ke riyasat mein ais ghareeb tabkay ka koi kheal nahi
Such projects NEED to stand on their own, so that if Govt. is changed tomorrow, they won’t be on the mercy of Govt. funding. But it’s amusing to see that Noonis still believe that such subsidies are for daily wage workers, who will be a small minority travelling in Green Line.
For poor people to ‘have more money to feed their families’, inflation must be brought under control as well as poverty itself. THIS is thinking bigger.
But i don’t blame you. You people have been brainwashed into thinking that such “subsidies” are a “solution” when in reality they are just a “Temporary” aid.
Ghareeb and poor will not using public transport ? Banda itni stupid baat na kare apne baat karnay lay liye . That is the majority that will use this.
So you are against subsidies unless it’s subsidies to bring inflation down? To use your own point against you, if we subsidies food item to bring their cost down they will be the mercy of the next govt. You youthias have been brainwahsed into thinking that artificially deflating prices are a ”’solution” when in reality it’s just “temporary” aid.
You have a lot to learn Kiddo .
If you were not doing well in your life financially, how much time before you stop receiving aid from your father/family? Eventually you’ll have to settle on your own feet.
Just like that, any institution, whether it’s a private or a government one, NEEDS to run without any aid/subsidy so that it can sustain and support itself.
You’re mistaken that I’m against subsidies. Except CONTINUOUS ones, like your beloved PMLN leaders who have been wasting BILLIONS in the name of subsidies. This only highlights poor planning of such projects. They didn’t give subsidies “for poor people”, rather than to give the money out to their cronies sitting over such projects
That would be true and all if the govt was a father but it’s not. The analogy doesn’t make sense because it’s not the same. A govt cannot be run as a family or business. A govt can only be run as a govt. One of the objectives of the said govt is redistribution of income, take money from the rich and give it to the poor in the form of services/subsidies and that is a CONTINUOUS job .
Ye moun or masoor ki daal :D
TERI MEHERBANI…… there I said it. Now stop cancelling & then re-announcing of old projects you numb-tards. Either do ’em or scrap ’em… FFS