Directs authorities to impose fines for littering; Announces jobs for trained rural women
Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has assigned a 15-day task to ensure a 100 percent improvement in cleanliness across the province.
The performance of the Suthra Punjab programme was reviewed at a special meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. The meeting considered discontinuing solid waste management companies over their unsatisfactory performance. It was decided to shift to self-operation in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan.
Expressing concern over dust and dirt on roads across the province, the Chief Minister ordered the daily washing of main roads. She directed the authorities to impose fines for littering after cleaning operations and take necessary measures to penalise those throwing garbage in markets, bazaars, vegetable markets, fruit markets and grain markets.
Targets were also set to ensure adequate human resources and machinery in every district. The Chief Minister directed that villages be cleaned on alternate days. She instructed Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners to hold weekly meetings with Field Monitoring Officers and introduce Key Performance Indicators to evaluate their performance.
Maryam Nawaz also ordered timely payment of salaries to sanitation workers in every city and locality. She sought details from all Deputy Commissioners regarding machinery required for cleanliness operations, along with a final record of savings achieved through self-operation.
The meeting also considered imposing fines on owners of vacant plots where garbage is found.
Deputy Commissioners of Multan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Hafizabad, Muzaffargarh and other districts presented their reports. The Chief Minister directed Deputy Commissioners to physically verify the machinery and equipment available in their respective districts.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Maryam Nawaz said rural women will be provided employment opportunities in the textile industry after completing skills training under the SheThreads programme.
She said 1,150 women have already completed training and secured jobs under the program, while a target has been set to train 2,500 women by June.
