Quality municipal services in tehsils: ‘Dream One’ project to be completed in 2028: Minister

LAHORE: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has said that the 225-million-dollars 'Dream One' project will be completed in 2028 with the support of the World Bank, which will enable the provision of quality municipal services to the citizens in selected tehsils.

While presiding over a meeting on Wednesday, he said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed to start projects of sanitation, water supply and sewerage disposal throughout Punjab as soon as possible. He further said that the scheme of municipal services in two tehsils will be completed at the cost of 250 million dollars in 2025, while 553 million dollars will be spent on water supply and sewerage schemes in 16 other tehsils.

He averred that the Chief Minister has directed to expand the scope of these schemes and expressed her determination that the Dream-II project will also be started with the support of the World Bank. “The completion of municipal services projects will improve the quality of life of the citizens. Similarly, municipal infrastructure will be built in 141 villages of the province,” he observed.

During the meeting, considering the financial aspects of the Punjab Intermediate Cities Project (PICP) and Dream-II project, it was decided to start the study work soon for progress in local government projects. The Minister directed to make the construction of a disposal station mandatory in every project.

Punjab Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian told the meeting that 545 disposal stations will be converted to solar energy, adding that schemes will also be started in 22 cities with a population of 25,000 to 100,000.

On this occasion, Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company Managing Director Syed Zahid Aziz briefed the meeting on various schemes.

During the meeting, ongoing and new municipal schemes were discussed and the implementation of the instructions issued by the Chief Minister and the schemes for providing municipal services in 35 districts were also reviewed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024