LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has given authorities a seven-day deadline to improve sanitation services under the Suthra Punjab programme, directing them to ensure sufficient manpower and machinery and take action against underperforming private contractors.
Chairing a special meeting to review cleanliness arrangements across the province, the chief minister called for a comprehensive, area-wise sanitation plan and directed officials to submit a progress report within a week.
The meeting reviewed the performance of sanitation companies, waste collection and transportation mechanisms, staff availability and field-level monitoring.
Maryam Nawaz instructed the authorities to introduce the Suthra Punjab beat system throughout the province within seven days. She ordered that sanitation companies achieving less than 80 per cent performance in any tehsil be issued warnings, while those scoring below 50 per cent should be removed.
She further directed officials to terminate contracts with poorly performing companies and make arrangements for self-operated sanitation services within the stipulated period.
Highlighting the welfare of sanitation workers, the chief minister stressed that their pending salaries and other dues must be cleared. She directed the authorities to recover outstanding payments from companies responsible for the defaults, emphasising that workers should not bear the consequences of contractors’ failures.
She also called for a legal framework to ensure the timely payment of workers’ salaries and prevent such issues from recurring.
Regarding rural sanitation, Maryam Nawaz instructed officials to ensure that villages were cleaned at least every other day and that accumulated waste was promptly removed.
The chief minister also sought detailed weekly reports from every tehsil covering workforce strength, machinery deployed under the beat system and the performance of field monitoring officers.
The meeting was informed that assistant commissioners and the respective Suthra Punjab officials in each tehsil would be held accountable for shortcomings in sanitation services.
Officials further reported that anti-littering squads were operational in every division and had carried out 264,000 visits. During these visits, warnings were issued and public awareness was raised about violations of sanitation standard operating procedures.
Reviewing performance reports from different tehsils, the chief minister praised Chakwal Deputy Commissioner Sarah Hayat and her team for their efforts in maintaining cleanliness in the district.
The meeting also discussed a proposal to develop a dedicated mobile application for Suthra Punjab workers to support the programme’s operations.
The post Maryam Nawaz gives Suthra Punjab teams seven days to improve performance appeared first on Karachi News.