$225m Dream-I project to be completed in 2028: Zeeshan

LAHORE:Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has said that the Dream-I project will be completed in 2028 with the support of the World Bank at a cost of 225 million dollars. After the completion, the quality municipal services will be provided to the citizens in the selected tehsils through this project. He said this while presiding over a meeting at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday.

During the meeting, ongoing and new municipal schemes were discussed. Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmad Mian, Additional Secretaries Maria Tariq and Arshad Baig also attended the meeting. Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company Managing Director Syed Zahid Aziz briefed the meeting on various schemes.

The schemes for providing municipal services at 35 districts were reviewed in detail. During the meeting, considering the financial aspects of PICP and Dream-II project, it was decided to start the study work soon for progress in local government projects.

Addressing the participants, the provincial minister said that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed to start projects of sanitation, water supply and sewerage disposal throughout Punjab as soon as possible.

He said that the scheme of municipal services in two tehsils will be completed at the cost of 250 million dollars in 2025, while 553 million dollars will be spent on water supply and sewerage schemes in 16 other tehsils. He said that the chief minister has directed to expand the scope of these schemes.

Zeeshan Rafiq said that the Dream-II project will also be started with the support of the World Bank. “The completion of municipal services projects will improve the quality of life of the citizens. Similarly, municipal infrastructure will be built in 141 villages of the province”, he observed. The minister directed to make the construction of disposal station mandatory in every project.

Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian told the meeting that 545 disposal stations will be converted to solar energy. “The schemes will also be started in 22 cities with a population of 25,000 to 100,000”, he added.