LAHORE: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has said that around 100,000 new employment opportunities would be created due to the outsourcing of cleaning work across Punjab.

The new recruitment would be done from the local population, he said while presiding over a meeting with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of waste management companies through a video link here on Thursday.

Punjab Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Special Secretary Asia Gul, Additional Secretary Maria Tariq and Lahore Waste Management Company CEO Babar Sahib Din also participated in the meeting.

On this occasion, while reviewing the outsourcing of sanitation work under the supervision of solid waste management companies, he asked for a progress report on the survey process under the auspices of JS Bank-Zindagi across the province.

The Minister further said that the contractors would be obliged to use the manpower and machinery of the waste management companies. “Therefore, it is important to keep all the machinery in full working condition,” he added.

He said that providing quality sanitation facilities to the people is the focus of the Chief Minister. He averred that a checklist has been sent to the CEOs of all waste management companies by the local government department and its implementation and given timeline should be ensured.

He expressed satisfaction that private companies have shown great interest in the process of outsourcing; however, he clarified that the Punjab government would not award contracts to anyone without fulfilling all legal requirements transparently.

He emphasised that private contractors should prefer to recruit staff at the local level; the local elected representatives should be taken into to loop at every stage of outsourcing to ensure maximum public participation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024