Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif has stated in one of his inspired moments that a handful of opponents of public welfare projects are enemies of the development of the country.
His obvious reference is to the Orange Train Project in Lahore that is estimated to consume 180 billion rupees — mostly in loans.
There is understandably a huge hue and cry against this project on various grounds.
Those whose running businesses will be demolished (and infact are already getting demolished) cant but curse the moment when this ‘grand idea’ cropped up in the mind of the Chief Minister.
There are those too who are cringing with acute mental agony at the demolition of various cultural symbols of Lahore, and at the threat some historical sites will be subjected to.
And there are those too in whose definition this is not a public welfare project— but a grand opportunity to a handful of chosen beneficiaries to make their billions the easiest way.
Education, health and drinking water, are the areas in which massive breakthroughs are required, which cannot be made possible without diverting massive resources in their direction.
And there are those too who believe that Lahore is not Pakistan. The development of Lahore should be the responsibility of the government of Lahore— and the resources needed for such development should be generated by Lahore.
The national resources are meant to be utilized for the overall development of the country.
The best use of the astronomical amount of Rs. 180 billion would have been some wealth-generating project from the income of which more cities than one could have benefitted from the projects of the Orange Train nature.
- Latest
- Trending
