Suthra Punjab programme being extended to every village: minister

LAHORE:Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafiq reviewed the quarterly performance of the contractors of the Suthra (Clean) Punjab programme during a conference held here on Monday.

Secretary Local Government and Community Development Department Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Additional Secretary Ahmer Kaifi and CEOs of all waste management companies also attended the contractors’ conference. On this occasion, the goals of Clean Punjab and the challenges faced were discussed in detail. Addressing the participants of the conference, Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafiq said that three months have passed since the launch of the Suthra Punjab programme.

"The purpose of calling all contractors to Lahore for a quarterly performance review is to ensure the provision of quality sanitation services to the public in every way. It is a matter of pride for me that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision of a clean Punjab has been implemented on ground throughout the province", he remarked.

Zeeshan Rafiq observed that this was a difficult task because no model of outsourcing in the sanitation sector existed in Pakistan before. He said that the Clean Punjab programme has provided 113,000 jobs more than the estimate so far.

"In addition to direct jobs, millions of indirect employment opportunities are also being created. Under the Suthra Punjab programme, 23,000 new local machinery has also come across the province", he noted. The minister said that the economy has received a huge boost with the emergence of new industry, however, the truth is that the real aim of this revolutionary programme is to provide a clean environment to the public.

"Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has started surprise visits to different districts. In Sialkot, the CM went inside the streets and reviewed the sanitation arrangements. Alhamdulillah, she saw cleanliness everywhere", he added.

He urged the contractors to maintain this spirit of serving the people in the future as well warning that there was no scope for laziness either in the past and nor there will be any scope for laxity in the future. Zeeshan Rafiq said, ‘Our goal is to meet the expectations of the people and the Chief Minister.’ ‘It is very important for contractors to have control over their subordinate staff. The entire programme of Clean Punjab is digital, the data displayed in the control room is the measure of performance, so the data of staff attendance and vehicle movement should be uploaded on the portal at the same time", he directed. He reiterated that government's target is to make the sanitation system in Punjab a model for the entire country.