LAHORE: Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, has chastised officials in Okara and other districts for their failure to stop similar incidents and instructed deputy commissioners (DCs) to guarantee a complete stop to the burning of crop residue.
The chief minister stressed that quality, sustainability, and prompt completion must continue to be the administration’s top priority while chairing a special meeting on the performance of deputy commissioners. She expressed dissatisfaction with delays and poor work on beautification projects in various districts.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) for each district were provided at the conference by Shoaib Mirza, Special Assistant and head of the Punjab Performance Management Unit.
The chief minister praised the performance of the administrations of Murree, Gujranwala, Attock, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Jhelum, Layyah, and Sahiwal.
The chief minister directed the authorities to incorporate fountains and other water features into beautification schemes and ordered the establishment of dedicated squads for governance and road maintenance. The squads would inspect sites and take corrective measures within 12 hours, the meeting was told.
She also called for ensuring that all streetlights remained functional, manholes were properly covered, and zebra crossings and school safety arrangements were improved.
The chief minister gave deputy commissioners three days to improve conditions at public hospitals and directed DCs and assistant commissioners (ACs) to visit hospitals daily. She also ordered daily deep cleaning of hospitals and washing of roads across the province.
ACs were directed to take immediate steps to restore non-functional water filtration plants, while the administration was asked to ensure the repair, maintenance and cleanliness of general bus terminals and Green Bus shelters.
A three-step procedure to deter the use of empty plots as places to dump trash was also decided upon at the meeting: a warning to owners for the first infraction, a hefty fine for the second, and the filing of a formal complaint for the third.
CM Punjab authorised the removal of wall chalking, ripped banners, and small advertising posters from public areas and issued an order for a province-wide operation against encroachments.
Maryam Nawaz additionally demanded that Punjab take action to control stray dogs.
“Lane markings, painted buildings and clean roads create the impression of a well-managed city. Negligence on the part of deputy commissioners and the administration reflects on my reputation,” she was quoted as saying.
The chief minister directed DCs to visit universities and colleges to brief students on ongoing development projects and government schemes. Each district administration was also asked to prepare a district economic plan to promote local economic development.
The meeting reviewed beautification projects in several districts, including Akbar Bazaar in Khanewal, Main Bazaar in Mian Channu and Allah Dad Bazaar in Jahanian.
Reports were also presented on projects in Sheikhupura’s Main Bazaar, Akbar Bazaar, Humayun Bazaar, Chhota Adda Bazaar and Safdarabad, as well as in Sharaqpur and Muridke.
The Gujranwala administration was appreciated for its beautification work, while projects in Eminabad, Kamoke and Nowshera Virkan were reviewed. The chief minister directed the completion of four beautification plans in Nankana Sahib by November and instructed the Rawalpindi administration to focus on green belts while reviewing five projects in the city.
She also asked the Gujrat deputy commissioner to incorporate new schemes into the development projects.
Maryam Nawaz, the chief minister of Punjab, expressed displeasure with changes made to the initially authorised plans in Rahim Yar Khan and ordered that food carts and food lanes be given to competent people and businesses.
The districts’ performance on eBiz, dog-bite incidences, Suthra Punjab, hospitals, schools, price control, road and street safety, public amenities, development monitoring, regulation and enforcement, urban management, public spaces, and citizen services were also examined during the conference.
The chief minister cautioned administrations about subpar performance and instructed staff to enhance service delivery.
