Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced a comprehensive governance and sanitation overhaul across the province, warning that negligence will no longer be tolerated. The strong directives came during a high-level meeting held on Friday, where she instructed officials to take immediate corrective measures and ensure visible improvements in public service delivery.
Strict Action Against Poor Sanitation and Administrative Lapses
Maryam Nawaz issued a firm order to halt payments to Shatra Punjab contractors whose sanitation work failed to meet required standards. She also advised authorities to explore re-contracting options where performance remains unsatisfactory.
The Chief Minister expressed serious anger over the deteriorating sanitation situation in multiple cities. She highlighted recurring incidents such as stray dog attacks, open manholes, and preventable accidents. She warned Deputy Commissioners that consistent negligence would not be taken lightly.
“There will be two warnings. On the third, the Deputy Commissioner will be replaced,” she said, stressing that raising governance to the next level is her top priority.
Officials were reminded that Punjab cannot afford weak oversight, especially in hygiene and essential civic operations.
KPIs Tightened and City Management Reformed
Under the new governance plan, the Punjab government has tightened monitoring systems and enforcement mechanisms:
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Stricter Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for all Deputy Commissioners.
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Secret monitoring teams assigned for district-level inspections.
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Immediate disciplinary action against officials showing negligence.
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Focused improvement in cleanliness around public spaces, parking areas, bus terminals, and waste collection zones.
Maryam Nawaz emphasized that the objective is to make Punjab’s cities cleaner, safer, and more efficiently managed.
Additional warnings were issued to private contractors and government institutions over shortcomings such as poor cleanliness around waste sites, lack of free medicines in government hospitals, unchecked stray dog attacks, and unsafe urban infrastructure leading to manhole incidents.
The Chief Minister ordered thorough cleaning of city entry and exit points, maintenance of green belts, and urgent repairs of public toilets and water filtration plants. She also approved 24-hour CCTV monitoring to curb illegal occupations and encroachments. Immediate removal of carts and stalls creating traffic blockages was also mandated.
Market administrations must now submit written assurances confirming adherence to government-approved price lists, with strict penalties promised for violators.
