Scope of Suthra Punjab programme being expanded, says minister

LAHORE: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique while directing the administrator Lahore Municipal Corporation to furnish civic facilities plan of all nine zones said that the cleanliness drive would be continued uninterruptedly throughout the province even during Ramazan.

He expressed these views during the briefing by Administrator/Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider in his first visit to Lahore Municipal Corporation after becoming the Minister of Local Government Department. He said that the scope of the Chief Minister’s Suthra Punjab programme was being expanded gradually.

‘Attention was also being paid to eliminating wall chalking during cleaning,’ he said. Administrator LMC/Deputy Commissioner Lahore Rafia Haider gave a briefing about the provision of civic facilities. Provincial Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique while presiding over the meeting directed that during the cleanliness campaign, our target are those areas which are generally neglected. He expressed his commitment to provide all possible resources to end the sewage problems province-wide. He pointed out that citizens also have a great role in the cleanliness drive.

Fortunately, there has been a lot of awareness among people in this regard. There was a need to conduct a systematic awareness campaign on media and social media, he directed. Zeeshan Rafique said that there should be a continuous survey of manholes in the streets.

The chief minister has given strict instructions to cover the manholes. It should be implemented accordingly, he urged. He said that there have been complaints of salary issues in some municipal bodies. InshaAllah will ensure uninterrupted payment of salaries to the employees, he vowed. He directed that the municipal departments concerned should be made more active for the elimination of encroachments.

Moreover, he said that necessary facilities should also be provided at all bus stands before starting of Eid rush. He said that there would be hiring soon on vacant posts in the municipal services bodies. He warned that complaints at parking stands in big cities would be dealt with strictly.

The provincial minister appreciated the restoration efforts of the historical Shah Ghous Mahmood Library at Delhi Gate under the management of Lahore Municipality. Administrator Rafia Haider told the meeting that 91 municipal schemes were completed in the recent period while 65 were nearing completion. ‘Street lights and water filtration plants are focus’, she said.