LAHORE
The Orange Line Train project to have underground service corridors along the roads for passing supply lines of different utility services like Sui gas, telephone, electricity etc., for avoiding frequent road-cuts for this purpose.
This was said in a weekly meeting of steering committee held on Wednesday under the chair of Kh Ahmad Hassaan. He called the Parks & Horticulture Authority for commencing horticulture work at completed parts of the project and to introduce vertical horticulture for this purpose.
He directed for increased vigilance during the prevailing rainy days by the mobile teams of Wasa and Lahore Waste Management Company, working for ensuring cleanliness along the track. Kh Ahmad Hassaan asked all the relevant departments for submitting their vouched accounts to the Punjab government positively during this week.
He directed for contacting IG for provision of more police personnel for ensuring safety and security of the project besides asking DIG Traffic for appointing two focal persons for coordinating movement of precast parts of the infrastructure.
The meeting was informed that so far 60 per cent civil work of the project has been completed. Progress on package-I from Dera Gujjaran, GT Road to Chauburji was 74.5 per cent, on package-II from Chauburji to Ali Town was 44.5 per cent, on Depot near Dera Gujran was 61.9 per cent while on Stabling Yard near Ali Town it was 58 per cent.
Royal Sightseeing Cars: Walled City of Lahore Authority is going to introduce Royal Sightseeing Cars for pick and drop of tourists at Lahore Fort.
With the development of Iqbal Park outside Lahore Fort, it is becoming difficult for the tourists to reach the Lahore Fort. With the parking facility almost 900 feet away from Lahore Fort, elderly tourists have started avoiding visiting Lahore Fort as all the cars and vehicles cannot be sent inside the fort for parking. The Royal Sightseeing Cars are being purchased from China, said a senior WCLA official while talking to The News. He said initially only four cars were being purchased, which would reach Lahore Fort within a couple of weeks. Tourists will pay a nominal ticket to ride the cars, he maintained.
The Royal Sightseeing Cars are battery-operated with windshield, safety belts, backrest and cushion, armrest, plastic seat bottom, security light, sunshine and rain cover. The vehicles will be parked outside the Lahore Fort and would take the tourists up to Deewan-e-Aam.
WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said that this was a new addition for the tourists at Lahore Fort. “We are trying to cater to all ages of tourists and many of them can’t walk that long to reach Lahore Fort.”
Lashari added, "All over the world we see such vehicles running in the forts and heritage sites." He hoped this wold help increase the tourism of Lahore Fort.
WCLA’s media manager Tania Qureshi said that this was first of its kind vehicle to be introduced in Lahore. She said this would help the aged tourist visiting Lahore Fort. “We are also adding more and more facilities for the tourists at Lahore Fort as we need to maintain it as per the international standards,” she concluded.
Bus service: The deputy commissioner has directed the Daewoo Bus Services to shift its bus stand from Kalma Chowk to Thokar Niaz Beg.
Officials said Lahore DC Sumair Ahmed Syed chaired a meeting at DC Office on Wednesday in connection with the relocation of Dewoo Bus Stand from Kalma Chowk to Thokar Niaz Baig. The regional transport authority secretary was also present.
The Bus Services GM briefed the DC on the construction progress of new Thokar Bus Stand of Dewoo.The DC directed the Dewoo administration to make sure the departure of 50 percent Dewoo buses to Southern Punjab from new bus stand till February, 5, 2017. He stressed the Dewoo administration to make faster the construction work so that Kalma Chowk stand could be shifted to new place within the shortest possible time. He also directed to the RTA secretary to review the construction work of new Dewoo Bus Terminal on daily basis.
Moreover, owing to rain in the city, DC Sumair Ahmed Syed directed all the assistant commissioners in the city to go into the field and visit low-lying areas and monitor water straining out process by Wasa and LWMC employees. Following the orders, the assistant commissioners visited the areas. Health Sector Reforms meeting
package for doctors: Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Health Sector Reforms at Civil Secretariat Committee Room on Wednesday.
According to a handout issued here, the meeting decided to give special pay package for the doctors recruited on contract basis for remote areas health facilities. The condition of age limit for posting of the doctors would not be fixed. Retired doctors from the Health Department can also apply to fill vacant posts in the hospitals of remote and far-flung areas.