LAHORE: Caretaker Minister for Local Government in Punjab Ibrahim Murad directed senior officials on Tuesday to ensure timely completion of all ongoing development projects being executed in 16 cities under the World Bank’s Punjab Cities Improvement Programme.

Mr Murad emphasised that all WB-funded projects related to water supply, drainage and other types of infrastructure improvement across Punjab should be completed on time and with priority.

To ensure transparency and achieve sustainable development, he added that necessary training should also be provided to local government department employees for their capacity building.

During a meeting to review the pace of work on the projects, Project Director Syed Zahid briefed the minister on the progress made thus far.

He stated that the relevant local governments were completing projects for providing basic amenities of life in 16 cities of Punjab at a cost of Rs23 billion. An additional Rs16 billion will be provided by the World Bank for these projects in the next financial year, bringing the total available funds for the execution of these projects to Rs39 billion.

Mr Zahid also noted that the projects currently under completion included water supply, drainage, solid waste management, construction of roads and streets, construction of parks, and bus stands.

These projects are being carried out in the cities of Daska, Hafizabad, Jhelum, Kamonki, Muridke, Wazirabad, Gujra, Jardanwala, Jhang, Kamalia, Okara, Bahawalpur, Borewala, Khanewal, Kot Addu, and Vehari.

LDA: Caretaker Minister for Housing and Urban Development Syed Azfar Ali Ansar on Tuesday visited the LDA One-Window Cell area and directed Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa and others concerned to try to make the system online and provide facilities to the public at large at their doorsteps.

He also met the people and heard their problems.

Later, Mr Randhawa at a meeting of the committee established to improve the living environment of the provincial capital reviewed progress on nine model roads.

“The teams must remove the encroachments from the green belt and parking area of model roads in the first phase,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2023