LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday approved the establishment of a Punjab Performance Management Unit to ensure systematic, real-time evaluation of government departments and field administration across the province.

Presiding over a meeting, the chief minister decided that she would personally conduct province-wide live monitoring through a central dashboard of the PMU.

The meeting, which was briefed by CM Complaint Cell Chairman Shoaib Mirza, reviewed key public issues, including open manholes, inflation, stray dogs, wall chalking, overflowing drains, graveyards, pushcart markets and the overall performance of government institutions.

The meeting also approved the creation of a Virtual Tour Wall, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Punjab. Through this system, the chief minister will be able to monitor attendance and on-ground performance of officers and officials across the province. It was stated that civic hazards, encroachments and urban safety risks will no longer remain unchecked under the new monitoring framework.

It will enable CM to conduct live monitoring through a central dashboard

The first Key Performance Indicator dashboard will be activated to assess the performance of commissioners, deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners. The PMU will continuously monitor 22 critical performance indicators.

According to the briefing, the unit will oversee the Suthra Punjab Programme, including cleanliness, solid waste collection, and drainage and sewerage systems in every city. It will also monitor the availability and pricing of flour, bread and essential food items, ensure enforcement of the ban on wall chalking and supervise campaigns aimed at protecting children from stray dogs.

The scope of performance indicators will include the condition of parks and graveyards, as well as the regulation of pushcart markets, supply of food items and price control. On the directions of the chief minister, CMIT units will also be established at divisional and district levels to strengthen implementation and monitoring.

The initiative is touted to be the first in the province’s history for a centralised, technology-driven system to measure and monitor the performance of government departments, with direct oversight by the chief minister.

SUGAR PRICES: Punjab Cane Commissioner Amjad Hafeez says sugar prices have declined significantly following the start of crushing.

According to him, a notable decrease has been recorded in the ex-mill prices of sugar at mills operating across various divisions of Punjab, which has also led to a substantial reduction in retail prices.

He said the ex-mill price of sugar at sugar mills in the Bahawalpur division is between Rs147 and Rs148kg, while similar ex-mill prices range from Rs147 to Rs148 in Rahim Yar Khan.

In the Dera Ghazi Khan division, ex-mill sugar price rangers between Rs150 and Rs160 a kg.

Amjad Hafeez further said that the largest reduction in ex-mill sugar prices has been recorded at mills in Multan and Faisalabad divisions, where prices range between Rs150 and Rs155kg.

In Gujranwala, the price is between Rs164 and Rs166kg. In the Lahore, Sargodha and Rawalpindi the ex-mill price is between Rs150 and Rs160kg.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2025