TOBA TEK SINGH: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar took notice of public complaints and poor cleanliness arrangements in the city during his visit to Toba Tek Singh on Tuesday and removed the deputy commissioner (DC) from his post.

The DC was directed to report to the S&GAD, according to a handout.

Mr Buzdar said that no leniency would be tolerated in resolving the problems of the people, adding that officers failing to solve issues pertaining to the citizens had no right to stay on their posts.

The chief minister also took notice of public complaints into the misappropriation of funds in the completion of Toba Tek Singh’s mega water supply scheme. He said he ordered the Anti-Corruption Establishment to hold an inquiry into complaints. The scheme was completed during the previous PML-N government with the expenditures of Rs880 million where a 35km pipeline was laid up to Toba Tek Singh from Trimmu head works (Jhang).

The chief minister told reporters at the DC office Toba Tek Singh’s location along two motorways - Peshawar-Lahore-Karachi (M-3) and Pindi Bhattian-Multan (M-4) - made it a suitable place for an industrial estate. He said soon good news regarding this would be shared with local residents. He said the posts of district health authority chief executive officer, district health officer, deputy district health officer and district headquarters hospital’s medical superintendent would be filled in a couple of days while the shortage of anaesthesia specialists in government hospitals of the district would also be resolved through immediate new recruitment or transfers. He said funds for development schemes had been released all over the province.

Orders probe into water scheme plaints; praises police for sacrifices; upgrades training school

Mr Buzdar also presided over a meeting of officials and parliamentarians of the district at the DC office and reviewed the pace of work on development schemes. The participants also discussed proposed development schemes.

The chief minister said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government has decided to spend equal funds on cities and rural areas whereas previous government gave priority to specific cities only. He said commissioners, DCs, regional police officers and district police officers had been directed to hold regular open courts while the police had been asked to adopt people-friendly attitude.

He said he had ordered the immediate arrest of proclaimed offenders while measures would also be taken to remove the shortage of police force in Toba district while Rescue 1122 service would also be launched at the earliest at Kamalia and Gojra.

He said problems faced by Toba Tek Singh district regarding education, health, water supply and sanitation would be resolved on a priority as previous government ignored the district. He said expansion in the district headquarters hospital was also under consideration. One million trees will be planted in the district under the clean and green movement.

He said it was not understandable why his opponents raised objections whenever his leader Imran Khan praised him. He said what his government did in 72 hours after the Sahiwal killings had never happened in the past.

MNA Riaz Fatyana and MPAs Saeed Ahmad Saeed and Bilal Asghar Warraich were also present in the meeting.

The chief minister also met defeated PTI ticket holder for NA-111 Osama Hamza, NA-112 Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq, PP-118 Asad Zaman Cheema, PP-119 Khalid Bashir, PP-120 Brig Javed Akram, PP-123 Sonia Ali Raza, Chaudhry Muhammad Ramzan (brother of Governor Chaudhry Sarwar) and Toba Municipal Committee Chairman Mian Shahzad Ahmad.

A lawyers’ delegation apprised the chief minister about their problems. During his visit to the city, the chief minister expressed his anger over poor cleanliness of the city. He also visited the hospital and announced an inquiry into the corruption allegations against former medical superintendent Dr Niaz Ahmad.

Giving his reaction to the chief minister’s visit, PML-N MNA Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said it was pity that instead of making it functional, the mega water supply scheme was still dysfunctional and the chief minister ordered a fresh probe into alleged corruption in its completion. He said three inquiries had already been made by the ACE and no corruption was found in it and even then residents had been deprived of supply of water. He said the chief minister did not listen to those who came to the DC office to apprise him that their houses were being razed for being PML-N voters.

When the chief minister was holding meetings in the DC office, a woman staged protest outside the office that his house had been demolished illegally in the anti-encroachment drive. She was, however, immediately removed by the police. The reporters complained to the chief minister about poor seating arrangements.

MULTAN: Mr Buzdar also attended the 57th passing out parade of police recruits at the Police Training Institute on Tuesday. He said nothing was precious than a human life. He said that those visiting a police station should not be treated like a requester. He said the Punjab police rendered great sacrifices in combating terrorism as not only the lower rankers but also the officers sacrificed their lives. He said that cooperation of the masses was vital to maintain law and order. He said that Punjab police should become example for the police forces of other provinces.

The chief minister also inspected the parade, inaugurated the police training college and distributed medals and certificates to the recruits besides announcing upgrade of the police training school into a college. The rank of the principal was also upgraded to deputy inspector general from senior superintendent of police.

Inspector General of Police Amjad Saleemi said the attitudes could only be changed by educating and providing training facilities to police officers and officials. Up to 1,147 recruits from Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur were provided professional training.

Forced closures of shops anger CM

TOBA TEK SINGH/MULTAN: The chief minister’s convoy had more than two dozen vehicles when he arrived in Toba Tek Singh from the Shorkot Rafiqui airbase on Tuesday.

All shops located along the route were forcibly closed while traffic was also blocked on different roads to clear the passage of the convoy.

In Multan, traders at Sehwra Chowk, Soraj Miani and Chungi No1 were forced to close their shops by the police and district administration, which also caused hardships for the people of adjoining areas.

According to an official handout, the chief minister took notice of forced closure of shops and directed the commissioner and the regional police officer to submit a report to him on the issue.

He said that he was working to facilitate the people and closing shops for his security was not the policy of his government. He said that strict action would be taken against the officials who forced the traders to close their shops.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2019