LAHORE: Punjab Senior Minister Aleem Khan says minimal charges would be introduced for waste collection from houses, shops and markets according to their categories.

He said private waste collectors were collecting waste from private housing schemes and dumping it on the government’s landfill sites – without paying a single penny. He announced that new solid waste management companies would be asked to collect waste and minimally charge respective households to generate funds and reduce financial burden on the government. Claiming that a notification in 2001 had levied Rs600 annually, he regretted that the previous Punjab government was paying Rs20bn annually to waste collection companies only in some parts of Lahore.

Aleem Khan was replying to a question about the proposed levy on the solid waste collection charges per house.

Minister says reforms soon in 15 depts dealing with public

He said the Punjab government had a plan to introduce reforms in 15 departments that directly deal with people. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government had worked hard during the past 100 days to complete spadework for the policies, directed at the ‘change,’ he said and added that reforms would also be introduced in other provincial departments that didn’t directly deal with people like those related to administration, planning, finance and training.

Mr Aleem said the 100 days plan would soon be unveiled and serve as a line of action for the government for next five years.

Talking about the reforms, he added that the reforms would be introduced in education, health, local government, agriculture, irrigation, forest and wildlife, sports, women development, industries, livestock and other departments.

“A new face of Punjab will emerge after implementation of new policies,” he said and sarcastically added that the change would not be confined only to paperwork and media campaigns, which was the forte of the PML-N government. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was keen to implement the party manifesto and no stone would be left unturned in serving the masses.

The senior minister the new local government system would be introduced as a part of 100 days plan. He reiterated that the new elected representatives would be empowered administratively as well as financially so that they might take practical steps for development in their constituencies.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2018