LAHORE, June 17: Announcing additional resources for town and tehsil municipal administrations here on Saturday, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi asked the heads of these institutions to improve sewerage and sanitation systems, remove encroachments and provide basic facilities to people in their respective jurisdictions.

He also constituted a committee under the local government minister Muhammad Basharat Raja to formulate recommendations for determining respective powers and responsibilities of city district governments and towns under the Punjab Local Government Ordinance-2001.

The chief minister was speaking at a meeting of Lahore town nazims at his secretariat. Raja Basharat, Additional Chief Secretary Naguibullah Malik and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.

The meeting was informed that the committee would play its role for settling matters relating to town management. Secretaries of local government and housing departments, director-generals of LDA and TEPA, managing director of Wasa, district nazim and town nazims concerned would be the committee members.

The chief minister said tehsil municipal councils should implement a comprehensive programme for their capacity building regarding resolution of people’s problems at the grassroots level.

The town nazims should play their due role for the implementation of reform agenda in social sector. The towns and Wasa should work together for the improvement of sewerage and sanitation system, he said.

He said the government departments, district governments, and town nazims should make concerted efforts for the improvement of streetlight system, repair and reconstruction of roads and other urban development and public welfare projects.