LAHORE: The Punjab government has finalised the preparation for outsourcing sanitation services in Punjab; it will be launched next month under the ‘Suthra Punjab’ programme.
This was disclosed during a meeting chaired by Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq on Thursday. The concerned deputy commissioners, the CEOs of the waste management companies and the chief officers of district councils participated through video link.
While addressing the meeting, the Minister said that the outsourcing process was completed in 90 out of 150 tehsils, including Lahore, in the first phase; outsourcing would be made operational in the remaining 25 tehsils within November. “Work has been completed in Gujranwala, Lahore and Faisalabad divisions while 90 percent of work has been completed in Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur and DG Khan Divisions.
The pace of work has also been accelerated in the Multan division; however, self-operation will continue in 13 tehsils of Punjab. Moreover, in the next phase, an outsourcing plan would be implemented in Sahiwal and Sargodha divisions,” he added.
He emphasised that the outsourcing model was a new experiment that would benefit the population of more than 73.4 million people in Punjab. “All possible steps should be taken to make the public awareness campaign successful. Community participation at all levels must be ensured to tackle the next potential challenges and for this, the cooperation of local public representatives was vital,” he concluded.
During the meeting, it was decided to conduct a special awareness campaign about the importance and necessity of cleanliness in schools and colleges. The deputy commissioners were asked to request the mosque imams to elaborate on the importance of cleanliness during their Friday sermons. Apart from this, the Punjab Chief Minister would also write an open letter to the parents and teachers of the students on the importance of cleanliness.
On this occasion, Punjab Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmad Mian said that under the ‘Suthra Punjab’ programme, 11.35 million houses in villages and 7.03 million urban houses would be covered.
He directed officials concerned that waste enclosures should be built, or at least, containers should be kept in every village “Funds have been released under the ‘Suthra Punjab’ programme.
He emphasised that the district administration should provide all possible facilities to the contractors and also supervise them, adding that a new culture of social change was about to develop and everyone should play their part to make this culture last.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024