LAHORE: The Provincial Development Working Party Punjab Monday approved Metro Rail Transit System on the Orange Line in Lahore at the cost of Rs.162628 million (Rs 162.628 billion).

Three other development schemes of different sectors including (Umbrella PC-I) Disaster & Climate Resilience Improvement Project (DCRIP) in Punjab at the cost of Rs. 10,240.000 million, Optimising Canal and Groundwater Management to Assist Water User Associations in Maximizing Crop Production and Managing Stalinization with Australian Assistance (Revised) at the cost of Rs.332 million and Purchase of Mobile Health Units at the cost of Rs. 971.6 million were also approved in the meeting. Total cost of all the four approved development schemes was estimated at Rs. 174171.600 million (Rs 174.1716 Billion).

The approvals were granted in the special meeting of Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) of current fiscal year 2014-15, presided over by the Punjab Chairman P&D Board Muhammad Irfan Elahi. Provincial Secretary P&D Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary, Members of the Planning & Development Board, Provincial Secretary concerned and other senior representatives of the relevant Provincial Departments also attended the meeting.

A representative delegation of China Railways and Norinco International China had earliest this month met Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and discussed Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project. There was an agreement in the meeting regarding the project. Talking to the delegation, the chief minister had said that the agreement between Pakistan and China over Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project augurs well and the project will be a masterpiece of Pak-China friendship. He said that Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project will result in speedy, comfortable and economical transport facilities to the citizens and will revolutionize transport system.

He said that 27-kilometer long Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project will be completed speedily and transparently while a high standard of construction will also be maintained. He said that Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project is the first and unique project in Pakistan. Shahbaz Sharif said that 26 stations will be constructed on the route of metro train and more than two lakh people will travel by this train daily.

The CM said that Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project will be a milestone in public transport sector.