LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has given a fifteen-day task aimed at a 100 percent improvement in cleanliness across the entire province.
Nawaz reviewed the performance of the Suthra Punjab programme at a special meeting she chaired. The meeting discussed not continuing with solid waste management firms because of their unsatisfactory performance, and it was decided to shift to self-operation in Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujranwala and Faisalabad.
Daily road washing and fines for littering
The chief minister directed that main roads be washed daily, expressing concern about dust and dirt across the province. Authorities were ordered to penalise people who throw trash in markets, including fruit, vegetable and grain markets, and to charge fines for littering after cleaning operations.
The meeting also considered fining the owners of vacant plots where garbage is found.
District targets, salaries and progress reports
Targets were set to ensure adequate staff and machinery in every district, and villages are to be cleaned on alternate days. Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners were told to hold weekly meetings with Field Monitoring Officers and introduce Key Performance Indicators to assess their performance.
Nawaz also ordered timely payment of salaries to sanitation workers in every city and locality. She asked all Deputy Commissioners for details of the machinery required, along with a final record of savings achieved through self-operation.
Deputy Commissioners of Multan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Hafizabad and Muzaffargarh have presented their progress. The chief minister instructed them to physically confirm the machinery and equipment available in their districts, and a follow-up meeting on Suthra Punjab has been scheduled after one week.
