MULTAN, March 19: The district health department collected 5,225 food samples last year out of which 2,700 were found substandard. EDO (Health) Dr Hassan Najmi told a meeting held here on Monday to review the performance of various departments with district nazim Faisal Mukhtar in the chair.

The EDO said his department had collected fine totalling Rs514,000 last year. As many as 520 food samples were collected this year out of which 123 were found substandard.

Revenue EDO Qazi Muhammad Ishfaq Qureshi told the meeting that vacancies in tax branch of the district council were being filled.

The EDO (works) said 149 projects of road construction had been completed out of 250 and work on 111 schemes was under way while work orders had been issued for 168 new schemes.

Multan Development Authority director-general Mumtaz Qureshi said work on all parks in the city would be completed by March 30.