LAHORE: Punjab Provincial Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has said that the Punjab government was fully committed to improving water supply, sewerage and park facilities in cities.

He was addressing a seminar held under the aegis of Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Program (PICIIP) on Wednesday. Punjab Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian and delegations from other provinces also participated.

He claimed that during the incumbent government, public improvement schemes have got a new lease of life and expressed satisfaction over the execution of various municipal schemes in Sahiwal, Sargodha, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi with the support of the Asian Development Bank. He averred that the Developing Resilient Environment and Advancing Municipal Services (Dreams-I) project would raise the standard of living in these cities; the Dream 2 project would also start soon.

He disclosed that Rs3,203 million was being spent on water supply schemes under the PICIIP schemes while trunk main sewer lines were being upgraded at the cost of Rs4,043 million and wastewater plants were being installed at the estimated cost of Rs4,259 million. “The world has moved on from bureaucratic snafus to AI-based IT systems to ensure holistic changes. If cities were not digitized, we would be left far behind in the rapidly changing world,” he warned.

The Minister observed that the archaic system of approving the schemes does not yield the desired results; they have to plug the loopholes and focus on public betterment. He further said that this government envisions giving Punjab a cleanliness system that would last for decades; thus, it has launched a composite solid waste system entitled the ‘Suthra Punjab’ programme. “Under this initiative, cleaning services have become operational in cities and villages,” he added.

He asserted that a well-planned growth will improve quality of life and for this, PICIIP was playing a good role. “We are also grateful to the Asian Development Bank for their support for the welfare of the people of Punjab,” he added.

On this occasion, PICIIP Managing Director Hamza Salik briefed the participants about the projects. At the same time, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Punjab Local Government Academy Lala Musa and five institutions.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024