RAWALPINDI, July 1: The Punjab government has allocated Rs350 million for municipal services in Rawalpindi after the city district government took control of revenue sources from towns.

Speaking at a press conference here on Friday at Cricket Stadium, City Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas said that from today (July) his administration would perform various municipal services in the district.

DCO Hamid Ali Shah, Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab Rahat Qudoosi, the newly appointed EDO (municipal services) Iftikhar Shalwani, DO Solid Wastes Dr Mazhar, DO Fire Brigade Aziz Ahmad, Nazim Potohar Town Hamid Nawaz Raja and Rawal Town Nazim Sheikh Rashid Shafique were also present on the occasion.

The city nazim said that from July 1, the city government would undertake sanitation, drainage maintenance, commercialisation fee and board tax fee collection, fire brigade and other civic services which were earlier performed by town municipal administrations (TMAs).

He said EDO Iftikhar Shalwani would supervise and monitor the municipal services and would manage the staff transferred from TMAs to city district government.

Mr Ikhlas said that Rs10 million would be spent on cleansing of all drains in the city before the start of monsoon rain adding that the district administration would utilise all its resources to improve the sanitation in the city.

The nazim said that the city government would carry out feasibility of recycling polythene bags and plastic through an automatic machine, would soon be made functional.