Rs80bn saved through e-tendering: 100pc transparency & quality hallmark of governance model: Maryam

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that 100 percent transparency and 100 percent quality are the hallmark of her governance model.

She stated that in the largest development initiative in Pakistan’s history, the Punjab Development Programme, Rs80 billion has been saved through e-tendering.

The Chief Minister maintained that public funds are a sacred trust and every penny must be protected and spent judiciously. She added that roads, streets and neighbourhoods cannot be left dug up as such negligence causes serious inconvenience to the public.

Chairing a video-link review meeting, the Chief Minister set June 30 as the deadline for the completion of all sewerage and drainage projects. A province-wide ban has been imposed on leaving excavation work incomplete or roads open after digging.

She directed that all manholes be covered with nets/meshes at the earliest, and agreed to engage traders and civil society in the manhole safety initiative.

During the briefing, it was informed that desilting works and underground water recharge systems have been incorporated into underground storage water tanks. Geo-tagging of 838,555 manholes across the province has been completed, while installation of protective nets/meshes is underway. Over 3,000 manholes have already been fitted with nets/meshes.

For the first time, desilting of drainage channels and sewerage lines has been carried out in 41 cities of Punjab, removing 550 tons of silt and sludge.

The meeting was further informed that 91 jetting and suction machines, 77 desilting machines and 100 dewatering sets are being deployed across the province.

Under the Punjab Development Programme, work on Phase I and Phase II is progressing at a fast pace with an estimated cost of Rs204 billion. In Sargodha, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat, Okara, Jhang, Multan and Sialkot, over 57 percent work under Phase I has been completed, while in Jhelum, Hafizabad, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Nankana and Rawalpindi, more than 57 percent work under Phase-II has also been completed.

It was further informed that a 196-kilometre drainage system has been developed for rainwater disposal, while cleaning of 3,497 kilometres of sewer lines has been completed. Moreover, 110 underground water storage tanks with a capacity of 24.5 million gallons have been completed, and 200,000 new manhole covers have been installed across Punjab.

The Chief Minister reiterated that safeguarding public funds remains the government’s top priority and directed that all ongoing projects be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026