LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered a ban on excavation and any kind of damage to newly-constructed roads, directing departments to coordinate their works to prevent repeated digging of roads.

Presiding over a meeting here on Monday to review own-source revenue (OSR) development projects across the province, the chief minister also directed that manholes and sewerage covers be kept level with the road surface and that every new road should have standard roadside drainage, signage and lane markings.

She also barred officials from collecting any charges from shopkeepers without prior approval and sought separate timelines for all development projects.

The meeting reviewed OSR schemes in Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, which were approved by the CM. The schemes include construction and widening of dual carriageways, road carpeting, footpaths, cat’s eyes, kerbstones, lane markings and roadside drainage, besides sewerage, beautification, sports facilities and solarisation of disposal stations.

CM directs depts to coordinate works to prevent repeated digging of roads

In Lahore, beautification projects for 10 roads were approved, including Egerton Road, Lytton Road, Davies Road, Lower Mall, Lawrence Road, Queen’s Road and Bank Road. The meeting was told that Lakshmi Chowk would also be beautified, with artwork planned on the Metro track and pillars.

She directed beautification of the Orange Line track along Multan Road through cleaning, plantation and mural painting. A project for construction and widening of rural roads on the outskirts of Lahore was also approved.

In Kasur district, schemes for road construction and widening, solar street lights and beautification were approved, while five projects involving sewerage and pumping stations and road construction and widening were approved in Sheikhupura.

As many as 42 OSR projects were approved for Multan division, including dual carriageways, lane markings and drainage in Multan and sewerage and drainage schemes in suburban areas. Projects in Khanewal, Kabirwala, Mian Channu, Jahanian and Talumba were also approved.

Six schemes, including road works and solarisation of a disposal station, were approved for Vehari, while six development projects covering a children’s park, street lights, road construction and widening and beautification were approved for Lodhran.

The meeting approved 12 OSR projects in Bahawalpur, three in Rahim Yar Khan and eight in Bahawalnagar. It also approved 13 schemes in Sahiwal, four in Okara and 14 in Pakpattan, covering road beautification, construction and widening, solar street lights and sports facilities.

In Faisalabad, 13 road construction and repair projects were approved, along with six projects in Chiniot and 18 in Jhang. A shopping arena and food street will be developed in Toba Tek Singh, while a sports stadium and badminton stadium will be built in Kamalia.

In Rawalpindi district, 13 projects were approved, along with six in Attock, four in Murree and seven each in Jhelum and Chakwal.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2026