Rural areas’ cleaning under Suthra Punjab begins from 16th: minister

LAHORE:Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has said under the ‘Suthra Punjab’ programme, the intensive cleaning operation in rural areas will begin from September 16.

According to the plan, under the supervision of the local government department in each rural union council, at least 10 sanitary workers and four loader rickshaws will carry out door-to-door collection of garbage and bring it to the temporary garbage collection point established in the village, from where the garbage will be lifted by trolleys. He said this while addressing a meeting of district administration, district council, municipal corporation/committees administrators and chief officers in the office of Deputy Commissioner Sialkot, on Saturday.

The minister elaborated that dumping at each UC dumping point will be the responsibility of District Council. ‘The resources required in this regard are being released under the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and within the next 10 days, the local government department and the district councils will complete the provision of human resources, machinery and other arrangements,’ he said, adding that garbage pits will also be cleaned and after that bulk waste will not be allowed to accumulate at any place.

He said uniform sanitation system is being outsourced in Punjab. He said that the cabinet has given approval for collection of fees from cleaning and sanitation. He said that a survey will be conducted for the collection of fees according to the size and nature of houses, shops, commercial and industrial areas within the limits of the local government department.

He said the CM is going to start road visits to different cities soon, in which she will focus on provision of municipal services. He expressed deep concern over the poor performance of Sialkot Solid Waste Company and absence of staff from duty and directed the deputy commissioner to conduct a complete audit of the outsourcing system of Sialkot Solid Waste Management Company.