Commissioners directed to expedite anti-encroachment drive

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has directed the commissioners to gear up the anti-encroachment drives in their respective divisions.

He said that removal of encroachment was one of the top priorities of the government. A handout quoting the chief minister said the task would be accomplished at all costs. He directed the commissioners to submit monthly report to Chief Minister's Secretariat about the progress of the anti-encroachment drives.

The chief minister also directed the Health and Food departments to check the sale of spurious drugs and substandard edibles. He was presiding over a meeting to review the action against encroachments, spurious drugs and substandard food items.

The secretaries Health and Food departments, commissioners, deputy commissioners and others attended the meeting. Pervez Khattak directed the officials to constitute special teams at divisional level to check adulteration in food and the sale of fake medicines in the market.

He said the Food Safety and drug regulatory authorities should be activated to bring the culprits to task through exemplary punishments and fines. The chief minister directed the relevant officials to propose amendments to the rules.

He directed the participants of the meeting to expedite work on renovation of district and tehsil headquarters hospitals. Pervez Khattak agreed to the proposal to establish testing laboratories at divisional level to control the sale of substandard medicines and food items.

He directed the drug and food inspectors to ensure that medicines and food items were tested within the set timeline. On a point raised by divisional commissioners about encroachment on public property, the chief minister directed the administrative secretaries to pinpoint encroachments at district level and inform the respective commissioners and deputy commissioners so that action could be initiated against the violators.

Meanwhile, the chief minister while chairing a meeting of the Water and Sanitation Service Peshawar (WSSP) directed the quarters concerned to dispose of solid waste and set up dumping grounds at the district level.