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Lahore, Local Minister Zeeshan Rafique has said that Ghorbani cell points are functional across Punjab from today (June 7). To provide relief to the public, the sale points will operate on a no-profit basis. During his visit to Faisalabad with Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Political Affairs Zeeshan Ashiq Malik, while presiding over a meeting of district officers and public representatives at the commissioner’s office, he said that for effective cleaning arrangements on Eid-ul-Azha, the municipal staff will be engaged for 13 days. Holidays have been banned. This ban will be for 10 days before and three days after Eid.
According to Directorate General Public Relation – Govt of Punjab, during the meeting at the Commissioner’s office, a detailed review of the Sathra Punjab program and the Eid cleaning plan was conducted. Commissioner Faisalabad Madam Silwat Saeed, Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Nair Sheikh, and chief officers of municipal institutions gave briefings.
Addressing the meeting, Provincial Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique said that the target of the Sathra Punjab program is to destroy 57 thousand tons of garbage per day at a high speed. Like the modern countries of the world, Punjab also wants to implement a long-lasting sanitation system. An outsourcing model is being introduced for this. He said that the process of pre-qualification of outsourcing for a standard cleaning system has been completed.
Zeeshan Rafique said that for the first time, they are introducing a uniform sanitation system in urban and rural areas. Before today, municipal services never reached the villages even though the majority of the population lives in the villages. He said that with the efforts of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, rural areas are also being focused on. If the sanitation program is outsourced, the available human resources will be entrusted to the contractors; however, he clarified that the performance of each contractor will be monitored by the Punjab government itself. Sanitation facilities will not be compromised.
Local Government Minister said that, one sentry worker will be assigned for every 250 households. In addition, five new modern landfill sites are being established across Punjab. A landfill site will also be constructed in Faisalabad district. Zeeshan Rafique said that preparations are also being made to deal with possible outsourcing channels. A nominal fee will be applied for garbage collection and street cleaning. Monitoring committees will be established in urban and rural areas for an effective sanitation system. He warned that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered zero waste in cities on Eid-ul-Azha. There is no room for laziness in this regard. He also directed the district officers to share the cleanliness plan with the concerned members of the assembly, ticket holders, and media. The provincial minister also praised the good results of the first phase of Sathra Punjab across the division under the leadership of Commissioner Faisalabad Silwat Saeed.
On this occasion, Special Assistant Chief Minister Zeeshan Malik, while issuing instructions regarding Sathra Punjab program and Eid plan, said that ticket holders of Muslim League-N are an important part of the government team. “We will take them along in the process of public service,” he emphasized. Zeeshan Malik also said that the cooperation of people’s representatives is essential in construction and development and public welfare measures.
Commissioner Faisalabad Silwat Saeed, while briefing the Provincial Minister and Special Assistant, said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is ready to fulfill the goals as per the vision. In the first phase of Sathra Punjab programme, Faisalabad Division was among the top divisions. Even after outsourcing, they will perform their responsibilities efficiently.