CM warns officials against lidless manholes, stray K9s

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed the commissioners, DCs and ACs to take strict action against officers who fail to ensure citizens' safety and convenience.

Chairing a meeting, she asserted that officers will face stern actions, including transfer, explanation and warning, if they fail to provide safety and facilitation to citizens across Punjab.

The chief minister did not allow the Layyah assistant commissioner to sit in the meeting over the death of a two-year-old child who had fallen into a pit in Layyah. She ordered immediate transfer of the official.

The chief minister directed the administration to take immediate action to address open manholes, dog-bite incidents, dilapidated infrastructure and land mafia. She underscored that there would be no compromise on the protection of life and property of citizens along with the provision of basic facilities.

According to a statement, she noted unsatisfactory performance of commissioners and ordered an evaluation.. She also directed the deputy and assistant commissioners to set KPIs for their staff.

She expressed indignation over incidents of people falling into manholes and suffering from dog bites.

She summoned the DCs of Multan, Hafizabad and Bahawalnagar over repeated such incidents and negligence from their duties. She also reprimanded the DC of Layyah.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz emphasised that the officers must take pre-emptive action against such incidents.

She termed lack of preventive measures against dog bites extremely unbearable and asked whether open manholes and sewerage pits was not the responsibility of the officers concerned.

She ordered more empowerment of the relevant officials while launching anti-encroachment campaigns.

Officials informed the CM that the historic Ichhra Bazaar would be beautified and its access made more convenient for women. Aesthetically designed coffee shops, pakora and chaat stalls will be set up and clean toilets will be built.

Vegetable markets

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered all stakeholders to adopt modern farming techniques to ensure availability of off-season vegetables.

Presiding over a meeting regarding modernisation of 188 fruit and vegetable markets across the province, she ordered immediate action against price control magistrates involved in deception. She approved recruitment of secretaries of the market committees through the Public Service Commission.

The chief minister asserted that a mafia culture had been eliminated from Punjab and said no mafia would now be allowed to operate.

She reaffirmed Punjab government's commitment to providing 'roti' and flour at a subsidised price to the public under any circumstance.

She announced that she would conduct surprise visits to fruit and vegetable markets. The chief minister said other provinces were compelled to emulate the development and initiatives under way in Punjab.