Lahore (Web Desk): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has asked the relevant departments to launch an all-out effort to enhance the appearance of city entry and exit points, with particular focus on maintaining cleanliness under flyovers, developing green belts and creating play areas for residents.
While chairing a special meeting on Tuesday to review the Punjab Development Plan, the chief minister directed that overhead bridges and underpasses be attractively decorated.
She also ordered that every project under the plan be geo-tagged to strengthen transparency and monitoring, and called for a detailed proposal to construct washrooms along provincial highways for the convenience of travellers.
The Punjab CM directed that any road dug up for sewerage or drainage work must be completely rebuilt and restored to its original condition. To ensure close supervision, she ordered the setting up of control rooms and management cells in the offices of all deputy commissioners to track progress of development projects.
Officials informed the meeting that strict transparency measures introduced during the first phase of the Punjab Development Plan had led to savings of Rs2.8 billion.
It was also shared that Phase-I of the Lahore Development Plan has been completed successfully, while work on Phase-II is in progress. Under the Punjab Development Plan, development schemes worth Rs234 billion are currently being executed in seven cities.
The briefing further revealed that sewerage, disposal, drainage and water storage tank projects will be carried out in Sargodha, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat and Jhang. In addition, trunk sewerage systems, new disposal stations and rainwater drainage projects are planned for Jhelum, Hafizabad and Okara.
A total of 526 machinery units will be provided for sewerage and drainage operations, while the second phase of the plan will extend development work to eight more cities.
The chief minister stressed that all pits created during development work in streets and residential areas must be properly covered and fenced. She made it clear that manholes should be level with the road surface, without even a slight protrusion, to prevent accidents.
She also directed that uniform quality standards be maintained across Punjab, including consistent designs and colours for tiles used on footpaths and roads.
Maryam Nawaz called for the development of green belts and open green spaces in every city and emphasized the need for a single utility corridor to avoid repeated digging in neighbourhoods.
Electricity poles, she said, should be placed along the outer edges of roads, while overhead wires and cables must be neatly arranged after beautification, ensuring no tangled wiring remains visible.
Maryam Nawaz also ordered the installation of streetlights in tehsils and announced the introduction of new, standardized manhole covers made from a plastic-like material. She directed that yellow and black stones be installed along footpath edges instead of painted markings.
Reaffirming her government’s commitment to public welfare, the chief minister said the administration fully understands public needs and is determined to improve the environment. She directed that open-air gyms, walking tracks and recreational facilities be developed in various areas, along with benches and small food courts in open spaces.
She also ordered a thorough audit of fire safety arrangements in both public and private buildings. During the meeting, deputy commissioners from Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhakkar, Vehari, Wazirabad, Sheikhupura and Kasur briefed the chief minister on the status of development projects under the Punjab Development Plan in their respective districts.