Screening, blood tests of restaurant cooks, waiters urged

District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood has directed officials concerned to carry out screening and blood testing of cooks and waiters working in various city restaurants so as to ensure that they were not suffering from hepatitis and other fatal contagious diseases.
He was chairing a meeting to review progress of city district government departments at Jinnah Hall, on Monday. District Co-ordination Officer Muhammad Ijaz, all executive district officers and other concerned officials attended the meeting.
Mian Amer directed for strict adherence to hygienic principles and wearing of hats and gloves by cooks and butlers while preparing food. He ordered registration of their particulars besides displaying their lists in hotels and restaurants for public information.
He also directed for issuing letters to heads of all city hospitals for ensuring cleanliness of canteens and cafeterias within the premises of hospitals.
Taking serious view of the construction of 1126 commercial plazas and markets on 118 city roads during past five years without payment of commercialisation fee, he directed for seeking explanation from concerned TMOs and TO (P&C) for overlooking illegal construction within their areas of jurisdiction.
He directed for preparing an estimate of commercialisation fee to be collected from theses plazas and carrying out a third party survey for ascertaining the actual number of such buildings in the city.
The nazim also directed immediate removal of encroachments from the vicinity of Minar-e-Pakistan for safeguarding its beauty and grandeur. He also directed for cleansing service road of Ravi Road adjacent to Iqbal Park daily and eliminating illegally functioning PCOs there.
He also asked DCO for launching crackdown against fireworks and apprehending those involved in manufacturing, stocking and sale of dangerous items in the city.
Amer said that there was a total ban on the preparation, sale and transportation of fireworks in the city and no person or factory had been allowed to continue with this trade.
With a view to saving lives of innocent children as well as the elders and avoiding occurrence of any untoward incident, stern action should be taken against those involved in this business.