No consensus on smart lockdown for energy saving; Punjab suspends purchase of 100 government vehicles
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Photo: File
According to sources, the Punjab government has decided not to impose a smart lockdown in the province following recommendations presented to the chief minister.
This was told by the sources in the Punjab government Express Pakinomist that the decision came after consensus could not be reached on implementing a smart lockdown for energy savings. Instead, the government has chosen to adopt alternative measures.
Discussions are underway to convene the next meeting of the savings monitoring committee next week. The meeting will review the expansion of previous decisions and present a report on the results of the committee’s first session.
Read: Punjab schools switch to four-day week
In line with the austerity measures adopted amid the global energy crisis, the Punjab government has suspended the purchase of 100 vehicles for various departments. Sources confirmed that no new orders have been issued and no payments have been made for the purchase of vehicles.
Officials also expressed concern that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could disrupt more development projects. Two purchases of bulletproof vehicles have been halted, while departments are expected to continue using existing vehicles for the time being. Any future vehicle purchases will be limited to hybrid or electric models, the sources said.
In the same vein, the Punjab School Education Department on Wednesday announced that all public and private schools across the province will now function only four days a week and remain closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif unveiled several energy savings and austerity measures to prevent fuel shortages and declared that he would not increase the prices of petroleum products further after a massive hike of Rs 55.
In line with the federal government’s directives, the provinces also announced several austerity measures, with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordering the suspension of government-supplied fuel to provincial ministers until the oil supply situation stabilises.
Punjab also expanded telecommuting in government offices, allowing only essential staff to report to workplaces while others performed tasks from home. In addition, the authorities curtailed official outdoor events and postponed several public gatherings.
