From Abid Usman
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that modern infrastructure, clean environment and efficient civic services are the foundation of a new and progressive Punjab.
Chairing a meeting to review in detail progress of the Punjab Development Programme, Lahore Development Programme, Model Village Programme, functioning of Parks and Horticulture Authorities (PHAs), clean water initiatives and rural road projects, here on Tuesday, she directed the authorities to accelerate the pace of development in cities and villages across Punjab.
The CM said that autonomy, aesthetic improvement, model villages, illuminated streets, clean drinking water, clean canals, durable roads and modern sewerage systems define the new life of modern Punjab. She emphasized that all development projects would be completed within stipulated time, adding that a live dashboard would be established to monitor progress, which she would personally review on a daily basis.
She directed the authorities to prioritize public safety and convenience and instructed that sewer lines should be laid within green belts instead of roads to preserve road infrastructure and urban beauty. She further said that manholes would be placed along road edges to ensure safer travel.
The CM directed the authorities to complete the Punjab Development Programme in seven cities by April.
During the briefing, officials informed the meeting that work had commenced on the Model Village Project under which 224 villages across Punjab were being transformed into exemplary villages. In Phase-I, streets in 469 villages would be made beautiful, well-lit and safe, with provision of water supply, drainage systems, children’s parks, footpaths and streetlights.
The meeting was informed that Phase-I of the Lahore Development Programme had been completed, while Phase-II would be completed by April 30. Officials also briefed that new PHAs had been established in 11 additional districts, increasing their total number to 21.
The CM sought a feasible plan to establish PHAs across the entire province and directed the preparation of a resource-generation plan to ensure their financial independence. She also sought details regarding manpower and assets of existing PHAs.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed the immediate release of the second installment under the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar Programme for homeless families and ordered issuance of allotment letters to beneficiaries of the Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar Programme.
Officials informed the meeting that 121,477 loans worth Rs155 billion had been issued under the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar Programme, under which 65,000 houses had been completed so far, while around 700 houses were being constructed daily. They added that Rs5.15 billion had been recovered in installments.
The chief minister directed that scheduled completion timelines of projects should be prominently displayed on billboards.
Expressing displeasure over roads and streets being left open after excavation work, the CM directed the authorities to immediately complete sewerage works and restore roads to minimize inconvenience to the public. She was informed that construction, repair and rehabilitation projects worth Rs204 billion would commence in 52 cities of Punjab by February 22. She said, “We apologize for the inconvenience caused to people due to digging on roads.”
The CM also reviewed the progress of wastewater treatment plants and termed public complaints regarding filtration plants as regrettable. She directed the authorities to install water filtration plants on a priority basis in areas facing poor water quality and set June 30 as the deadline for completion and renovation of water bottling and filtration plants.
She assured that residents of remote areas including Dera Ghazi Khan, Khushab, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur, who are forced to fetch water from distant locations, would be provided bottled water at their doorsteps. She also directed early completion of comprehensive cleaning of the Lahore Canal.
The CM further directed the authorities to ensure swift drainage of rainwater after rainfall. She was briefed that 4,031 kilometers of roads would be constructed and rehabilitated under 1,529 road rehabilitation projects. She directed installation of lane markings on newly constructed roads and use of aesthetic tuff tiles along roadsides.
