F.P. Report
LAHORE: Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has directed to improve the cleanliness condition in Lahore by ending Saturday holiday and to undertake waste collection on Sunday. He also directed to resolve the issue of ghost employees.
Chairing a meeting here on Thursday, Abdul Aleem Khan asked new Managing Director of Lahore Solid Waste Management Khalid Nazir Wattoo to prepare revised frame work in which holiday of Saturday will be stopped while waste collection will also be undertaken on Sunday.
He directed to divide Lahore City into 14 zones based upon National Assembly’s constituency and in each union council there should be one In-charge. He said that there should be no compromise on the attendance of staff and ghost employees must be identified immediately with the removal from their seats.
The Senior Minister said that if 30 competent and hardworking officers are found, the issue of cleanliness could be resolved. He asked the new MD to take into loop other related departments as well and point out there lacking urgently so that coordinated efforts could be made. Abdul Aleem Khan said that instead of traditional walk or seminar there should be comprehensive awareness campaign for the general public which can result positive in improving the cleanliness work in the city. He also asked to take Deputy Commissioner and district administration into loop and ensure strict monitoring on daily basis. Senior Minister said that officers will have to come in the field themselves and ensure in time and proper cleanliness and dumping every day. He directed the MD SWM to create proper system of accountability and awarding the employees.
New MD Khalid Nazir Wattoo assured the Senior Minister that standard of cleanliness would be improved in the city as per his directions and stone would be left unturned in this regard. General Manager Operation Sohail Malik also briefed the meeting on different arrangements being launched in the city.
Meanwhile, a 4-member delegation of World Bank called on Senior Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan and appraised the proposed projects for the rural areas in water supply, sanitation and waste collection fields.
Abdul Aleem Khan threw light on the salient features of new Local Bodies System for the Punjab and said that in future progress would start in all the 25,000 villages simultaneously. He said that Local Government Department has prepared 720 pilot projects for waste collection on self sustain basis. Senior Minister told that for all the cities next 50 years’ master plan being prepared.
Abdul Aleem Khan said that unfortunately there was no proper water supply or drainage system in the villages of Punjab and World Bank’s cooperation in this regard will be a breakthrough. The World Bank delegation expressed deep interest in different projects for Punjab and agreed to meet again soon in this regard. Secretary Local Government Capt. (Rtd) Saif Anjum also briefed the delegation about different projects being launched in Punjab in the coming days.
