Punjab unveils 25-year municipal services plan

LAHORE:The Punjab government will provide end-to-end solutions to municipal problems in 169 cities of the province for the next 25 years at an initial cost of around Rs700 billion.

Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq reiterated the commitment while addressing a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat in which the progress of the Chief Minister Cities Development Programme was reviewed. Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Special Secretary Asia Gul and Additional Secretary also attended the meeting while Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC) MD Syed Zahid Aziz briefed the participants.

Zeeshan Rafiq said that in the first phase, underground water tanks, sewerage, disposal pump stations will be built in 59 cities under the programme. ‘Construction and maintenance of streetlights and parks will also be ensured. All the needs till 2050 of cities are being taken into account in this project’, he remarked. He said that in the next phase, work will be done in 110 more cities. He said that the Punjab government will spend Rs358 billion in 59 cities with the support of the World Bank.

In the second phase, schemes worth Rs336 billion will be completed in 110 cities. The minister directed the PMDFC to complete PC-1 of both the projects by May 15 saying that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has already approved the mega project. ‘Both the phases should be included in the ADP of the new financial year’, he directed.