LAHORE: The World Bank will give a soft loan of $200 million to the Punjab government for green development project, says Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Monday.

Presiding over a meeting at his office, the chief minister said the provincial government would install air and water quality moni-toring systems in 10 districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Multan, DG Khan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Vehari.

The air and water quality monitoring systems would be installed at 45 places in the 10 districts under the green development project, he added.

Mr Elahi said an environment-friendly pilot project would be started in Lahore by launching 25 electric buses, while legislation would be enacted to control the use of plastic to improve the environment, adding that the single-use plastic products would be eliminated to curtail environmental pollution.

He said solar panels would be installed on the roofs of government buildings under an energy-efficient buildings plan to be introduced at divisional level, adding that six district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals had already been converted to solar energy in the province.

The chief minister said that a $50 million environ-ment endowment fund would be established under the proposed green Knancing strategy.

The meeting reviewed a proposal to introduce token tax for private vehicles subject to motor vehicle inspecdon and cerdñcadon. The inspection of the equipment that causes environmental pollution would be included in the Vehicle Inspection and Certification System (VICS) and soft loans be given to six industries under the green investment project, he added.

He said that steel mills, rice mills, stone crushing units and leather processing industry would be included in the green investment project. Initially, loans of $30 million would be provided to 100 small industrial units, he said and ordered launching of an awareness campaign to overcome environmental pollution.

DAIRY FARMERS: Meanwhile, a delegation of dairy farmers` association met with the chief minister and apprised him of the problems of the livestockand dairy farming sector.

The chief minister issued instructions to resolve the issues being faced by the sector.

He also ordered imposition of a ban on the interprovincial transportation of maize from Punjab.

Under the ban, maize would not be allowed to be transported out of the province as it was required to meet the needs of livestock, poultry industry and dairy f arming sector.

Mr Elahi said the ban would benefit the local poultry industry and added that instructions have been issued to the district police officers (DPOs) and deputy commissioners (DCs) to check the transportadon and movement of maize on the exit routes of Punjab.

He also directed the livestock department to prepare provincial livestock policy in consultation with the stakeholders. A committee was also formed under Livestock Minister Sardar Shahabuddin to formulate the policy.

The chief minister saidPunjab government would preparelocally-effective vaccines to protect animals f rom diseases and added that the private sector would also be included in this initiative.

He tasked the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) to prepare vaccine in six months and added that the animals would be vaccinated against different diseases every year. He also directed the livestock department to prepare a timetable for the vaccination of animals and ensure regular field visits by its staff to monitor animal diseases.

He said the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board would be activated and reconstituted to include experts in it. Consultants would be hired from local universities to promote livestock and dairy farming at the grassroots, he added.

Regretting lack of cooperation from the federal government, he announced that the Punjab government would also buy vaccines f rom abroad.