‘Suthra Punjab’: CM Maryam hails sanitation heroes, criticizes past neglect in province

Lahore (Web Desk): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday reaffirmed her resolve to silence critics of the province’s development initiatives as she inaugurated a modern sanitation fleet under the “Suthra Punjab” campaign.

Addressing the event, she said it was a privilege to be part of the initiative and a source of pride to don the campaign’s jacket.

She praised the workers engaged in the cleanliness drive, calling them true heroes, and applauded the sustained success of the programme across both urban and rural parts of the province.

Maryam Nawaz said that during the recent floods, the government and administrative bodies worked together as one unit, describing the relief efforts in the affected districts as remarkable.

She added that the simultaneous launch of cleanliness operations in cities and villages was a model worth emulating.

The “Suthra Punjab” initiative comprises a workforce of 150,000 individuals and 35,000 modern machines, each named after the district it serves. The chief minister said that within just one year, every district had been equipped with a modern sanitation fleet.

She recalled that previously Punjab lacked any systematic sanitation arrangements, but this programme had brought much-needed comfort to the public.

Maryam further mentioned the special sanitation campaign launched during Eid-ul-Azha and said that modern machinery had been procured for clearing canals and drains, which would also reduce the chances of flooding.

Criticizing the previous administration, she said that the so-called “Gogi Pinki era” had caused great harm to Punjab, leaving behind piles of garbage. She emphasized that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had always built strong networks of development projects throughout the country, adding that serving the public was the essence of the party’s leadership.

She also underscored that access to education, healthcare, and transportation was the basic right of every citizen.

The chief minister announced a merit-based scholarship programme to help students pursue higher education, reaffirming that speaking for Punjab’s development was part of her duty.

She expressed her wish to see Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh as clean as Punjab.

The Punjab CM noted that the overall law and order situation had improved significantly, with 25 districts now having zero crime.

She said that ensuring the rights of Punjab’s people was her foremost responsibility and that she wanted to see similar progress in other provinces as well.

The Punjab CM concluded that the unveiling of the new sanitation fleet marked another major step under the “Suthra Punjab” initiative, reaffirming her government’s commitment to a cleaner and waste-free Punjab.