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FAISALABAD, July 19: The government is taking every step to provide sweet water facilities to a maximum number of people while funds allocated to this account will be tripled in the next financial year 2007-8.
Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister Syed Ali Raza Gilani said this while presiding over a meeting of the committee constituted by the Punjab Assembly to look into the outbreak of gastroenteritis in Ghulam Muhammadabad and arrangements made by departments concerned at the local Circuit House on Wednesday.
He said plan was being finalised to provide potable water to each and every inhabitant in the province while water meters would be installed at all connections to stop wastage of water.
He directed Wasa highups to keep in touch with special committee members to know about the progress on pipeline laying projects in Ghulam Muhammadabad.
The government, he said, had issued instructions to all district governments to keep a check on ice factories and the supply of unhygienic foodstuffs to avoid breakout of any epidemic, particularly gastroenteritis.
Committee members — MPA Sheikh Ijaz Ahmed and Asghar Ali Qaisar — stressed the need to find facts behind the breakout of gastroenenteritis in Ghulam Muhammadabad so that those responsible could be taken to task.
DCO Azam Suleman Khan informed the meeting about the problems being faced by Wasa especially the shortage of staff and required funds.
The Wasa managing director told the meeting that the project of replacing 46,000 feet of water supply lines would be completed within a fortnight.
BUDGETS: District Nazim Rana Zahid Tauseef on Wednesday presented surplus budgets of Rs3.58 billion and Rs1.84 billion for Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) and Wasa, respectively for the year 2006-07.
At a meeting of the district council, the nazim said the budgets were presented before the financial and developmental committee of the Punjab government, which recommended to present the same to the FDA governing body.
He said the governing body meeting declared the budget document as well prepared and suggested to get it approved from the district council as final authority.
He said Rs1.31 billion would be spent on uplift schemes in the city, especially for water supply and drainage while Rs62 million had been allocated for the development of katchi abadis.
