ISLAMABAD, Apr 02 (APP): Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill Friday said the commencement of work on Ravi River project was subject to preservation of ancient civilization and cultural heritage along its both sides with special focus on environmental aspect of the project.
Addressing a press conference along with Minister for Finance Hammad Azhar at Press Information Department here, he said earlier numerous deliberations and attempts during various governments for execution of Ravi River project were made during last 40 years but each time it remained inconclusive.
He said deliberations are being made for installation of water treatment plants on the pattern of River Thames adding the prime minister is constantly seeking updates on daily basis about the project for the last one year which would be initiated after reviewing its economic viability.
He also told that the prime minister has given approval for construction of residential flats for media persons in Lahore besides reserving quota for them in other housing schemes. The government is giving subsidy of Rs300,000 against each residential unit on first 100,000 houses, he told.
During a presentation, the prime minister was told by the Punjab chief secretary about the two times rapid horizontal growth of Lahore city during last 20 years, he said adding it was all due to ill planing and ruthless land grabbing by political land mafia backed by previous regimes.
Shahbaz Gill said Prime Minister Imran Khan himself belongs to Lahore city and he has great concerns about the growing civic issues of the city and lowering of its underground water table. The government has first time seriously started working on the project and Prime Minister Imran Khan was always accepting the challenges to take it to its logical end, he added.
To a question, he said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has always respected any kind of decision by the court and the recent verdict of the Supreme Court must be accepted with same spirit as its earlier decision against Maryam Nawaz.
To another question, the SAPM said the accused in sugar scam are brought before the people first time during his government, besides fixing its standard market rate. He said a new law to monitor supply chain of sugar has introduced in Punjab.
About the economic growth rate, he said the inland car manufacturing in March has broken all the records of last 30 years. By the grace of Allah Almighty, Pakistani rupee is best performing currency against the dollar, he told.
