Road maintenance squads planned
Photo: File
The Punjab government has decided to establish squads in every district to ensure daily inspection, upkeep, cleanliness and repair of damaged roads.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved the proposal to form the road maintenance squads on Tuesday.
Presiding over a video-link meeting with commissioners and deputy commissioners on ongoing development projects in the districts, she directed authorities to put in place an effective monitoring mechanism covering the scope, timelines, quality, expenditure and physical progress of every project.
She ordered mandatory installation of cat's eyes on specified urban roads and the use of thermoplastic markings for greater durability and safety.
The chief minister ordered that concrete gates should not be constructed at the entry points of cities and tehsils. Instead, each city's name should be displayed on a landscaped, green plot at its entrance. Median designs and landscaping should also be carried out at the district entry and exit points.
She directed authorities to properly illuminate or decorate electricity poles along roads and ensure appropriate lane markings, traffic signs and directional signage.
The CM ordered that food streets be planned as separate commercial areas, with adequate infrastructure, cleanliness, parking and traffic arrangements. She also directed the authorities to improve access, sanitation, traffic management and commercial activity at vegetable markets across the province.
She stressed that all projects must be completed according to approved designs, materials and technical standards, adding that there would be no compromise on transparency and quality.
The chief minister ordered that road safety measures conform to technical standards and lighting be energy-efficient, durable, safe and easy to maintain.
She said district entry points should feature contemporary designs, with Chinese city entrances serving as a model, while approved design concepts should be followed for tehsil entrances with suitable modifications according to the local context.
The chief minister also ordered that roads should not have concrete structures in the middle without planters and called for proper landscaping of medians.
She directed the commissioners and DCs to ensure close monitoring of development projects and timely resolution of issues to maintain quality and prevent cost overruns.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz paid tribute to every officer and sailor of Pakistan Navy engaged in safeguarding the country's maritime frontiers and paid homage to its martyrs and Ghazis iIn her message on Navy Day. She said the Pakistan Navy had demonstrated its outstanding professional capabilities on every occasion and proved its superiority over the enemy.
She said Pakistan Navy had achieved a historic success, establishing its supremacy over the enemy, while submarine Ghazi had created a remarkable chapter in the history of naval warfare in the Arabian Sea.
She said Pakistan Navy was playing an exemplary role in promoting and protecting maritime trade. Despite tensions in the Strait of Hormuz amid the prevailing global situation, it had played a key role in ensuring the uninterrupted movement of Pakistani-flagged merchant vessels.
The Pakistan Navy was also carrying out maritime diplomacy through its public service initiatives, she added.
The chief minister said Pakistan Navy's modern naval assets, including Hangor-class submarines, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, had made the force prominent globally in every respect.
She prayed that the Pakistan Navy would continue to uphold and carry forward its glorious maritime traditions with distinction in the future.