RAWALPINDI, July 18: The provincial task force on beautification of urban areas is either being made a full-fledged department or being converted into an authority to look after beautification projects, the task force’s chief, Sardar Azam Rashid, said.

Talking to this reporter, Mr Rashid said a provincial design cell was being set up in collaboration with the private sector and negotiations in this regard had almost been completed. He said the design cell would recommend the designs of construction in the province.

People seem to be devoid of the basic sense of designing and end up constructing odd-looking structures, which instead of appearing beautiful act as eye sores.

“The cell would tell people how to do the same things in an aesthetic way,” he said.

Mr Rashid said eversince the task force had started its work he was faced with immense shortage of suitably-qualified personnel. Therefore, he said, he, as the first step, set up the school of horticulture.

In addition to setting up of these administrative structures, the task force’s chief said a massive awareness campaign was being launched to make people realize that a beautiful environment was not a luxury, but a necessity.

He said negotiations were underway with the private sector to carry the task force’s message on their products in this regard.

Mr Rashid said one of the major steps being taken by the task force was the streamlining of outdoor advertisement.

“None of the advertisement material, currently on display in the cities — hoarding, neon signs, billboards — conform to international standards,” he added.

He said standard designs would be prescribed and a deadline fixed to switch over to the new designs.

Under the new system, the Tehsil municipal administrations across the province would specify places for advertisement, which would then be leased out through open bidding instead of the unregulated advertisement pattern being witnessed these days, he said.

The rates for advertisement, he said, would also be standardized throughout the province and cities would be divided into categories for this purpose. This rationalizing of the ‘visual pollution’, he said, would bring about a visible impact in a very short period.

Speaking about the implementation strategy, he said, it would be done through the district governments for which district beautification and horticulture cells headed by the respective Nazims had been set up with district coordination officer, Tehsil municipal officers and Tehsil Nazims as its members.

Replying to a question regarding financial constraints, he said there was no such problem at present and the district governments had got so much money with them that they were at loss to understand where to spend them.

Moreover, Mr Rashid said Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi had also assured him that all financial needs would be met. He said the programme would help in generating employment and cited the example of Attock, where initiation of beautification projects created jobs for 500 people.

He said the beautification project was ‘tangible’ and people would see results within a year.