LAHORE, Dec 6: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that Jallo Park will be upgraded to international level to provide better recreational facilities to citizens.
According to a handout, Sharif also directed accelerating the process of beautification of roads and parks of the provincial capital besides immediately replacing out of order streetlights.
He also ordered shifting of polo ground from Racecourse Park as well as expediting the campaign for the removal of encroachments and billboards throughout the city.
The chief minister was presiding over a high-level meeting here on Saturday which reviewed development of Jallo Park and various other projects including shifting of cattle from the city, entry of trucks and removal of encroachments.
MPAs Mian Mohsin Latif, Wasim Qadir and Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Task Force Chairman Kh. Ahmad Hassan, the chief secretary, housing secretary, Lahore Development Authority director-general, Lahore commissioner, district coordination officer, traffic deputy inspector-general, senior superintendent of police for operations and other officials attended the meeting.
The chief minister directed that a comprehensive plan be evolved to revamp Jallo Park and Lahore Zoo and foreign experts be consulted. He said that steps be taken to develop Lahore Wildlife Park also.
He said that greenbelts be improved in addition to construction of beautiful models and monuments at important road crossings. He directed the commissioner to improve the greenbelt of Gaddafi Stadium immediately.
He said that a team headed by the commissioner was responsible for beautification of parks and roads as well as dealing with other matters and he would review the performance of the committee on Jan 16.
He said that community parks be beautified but after their construction they be outsourced to different departments for their maintenance. Similarly, modern toilets be constructed at public places and parks and subsequently outsourced as well.
The chief minister said that most of the streetlights in the city were out of order which should be replaced immediately and induction lamps, which were 30 to 40 per cent energy-efficient, be installed on experimental basis on three or four roads of the metropolis.
He also directed improving the condition of Jinnah, Mian Mir and other flyovers in the city.
Issuing instructions for the shifting of polo ground from Racecourse Park to some other suitable place outside the city, he said that the park had been established for providing recreational facilities to the citizens and a large number of people visit this park with their families, therefore, there was no justification of polo ground in this park.
He said that encroachments be removed from the city completely without any discrimination. He also directed constructing a pedestrian bridge in front of Children’s Hospital.
Earlier, Mustafa Kamal, who is chairman of the Task Force on Horticulture, gave a briefing regarding beautification of Jallo Park and improvement and beautification of various roads and the city.
The commissioner informed the participants of the meeting that a campaign was in progress to remove encroachments, besides timings of entry of trucks in the city were also being observed strictly and stern action was being taken against violators.
He said that a comprehensive plan had been evolved to shift cattle from the city which would be implemented after Eid.
The chief minister directed not to harass vendors in the campaign against encroachments and in order to provide hygienic food to the citizens, proposal of provision of covered pushcarts to vendors be implemented and model pushcarts be prepared for this purpose.