Beautiful cities: ‘Training institute for horticulture needed’

Chief minister seeks recommendations in this regard at a meeting.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday sought recommendations for setting up a training institution for horticulture.

The chief minister chaired a meeting to review steps under way for the beautification of big cities across the province.

He said plantation helped reduce pollution and beautified cities. “Promoting horticulture is vital for providing a pollution-free environment to the people,” he said.

Sharif ordered that steps be taken immediately to promote horticulture in big cities. He said a vigorous plantation campaign should be launched this month. He stressed the need for looking after the saplings planted during a campaign.

The chief minister said cooperative housing societies should be asked to promote plantation. He called for accelerating work on the beautification of walls of public and private buildings along major roads.

The chief minister called for constructing swimming pools for both men and women in cities. He ordered that seven picnic points be set up from Harbanspura to Jallo that should include play areas for children.

Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan, the Walled City of Lahore Authority director general, Parks and Horticulture Authority Vice Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad, the NESPAK managing director, the Lahore commissioner, the housing secretary, the Lahore Development Authority DG and the DCO attended the meeting.

Road widening

Sharif chaired a meeting that reviewed progress on several infrastructure projects. The meeting decided that the road from Thokar Niaz Beg to Hadiara Drain be widened to four lanes.

The chief minister said this would ease the flow of traffic entering Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2016.