The Punjab government has announced the launch of development schemes in 66 cities across the province, starting at the beginning of the new financial year. Provincial Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq shared the details during a video link meeting at the Civil Secretariat on Thursday.
The initiative, part of the Chief Minister’s Cities Development Programme, aims to upgrade urban infrastructure. Minister Rafiq instructed deputy commissioners to follow the model of the Lahore Development Programme and clarified that no additional staff will be hired except for technical experts, with existing human resources to be utilized.
The Local Government Department will implement the project in collaboration with Public Health Engineering, with plans to include 110 more cities in the next phase. Key features of the programme include paving or repairing all dirt roads, constructing and repairing connection roads, and introducing comprehensive sewage systems in each city. Solar-powered disposal stations and solutions for sewerage needs up to 2050 are also planned.
Copies of the project’s PC-1 have been sent to municipal bodies, and deputy commissioners are expected to begin the tendering process in July. The project will also focus on rainwater drainage, building storage tanks, and restoring parks.
Minister Rafiq emphasized the importance of transparency and timely completion, stating that, for the first time, Punjab cities will receive end-to-end solutions for sanitation and urban development.
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