A meeting was held under the chair of the caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi for a detailed review of the preparations to deal with possible floods was conducted. The CM ordered monitoring of the flow of water in Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej 24 hours along with evacuation of people living in the bed of river Satluj.
While briefing the CM, the secretary of the irrigation dept said that India has released 2,11,000 cusecs of water in Sutlej and 38,000 cusecs of water is likely to flow at the Ganda Singhwala. Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi directed that the inhabitants, along with the cattle in the river bed, should be shifted to safe places and timely supply of vaccines and medicines in the relief camp should be ensured. Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued instructions to the commissioners of Lahore, Sahiwal, Multan and Bahawalpur in this regard and said that in view of possible floods, the necessary safety arrangements should be completed soon and the irrigation department, all commissioners and deputy commissioners should be alert all the time. He said that all necessary measures should be taken under the approved plan to deal with possible floods. Advance safety arrangements and other necessary arrangements under SOPs should be finalized and implementation of flood SOPs should be ensured in all circumstances. Mohsin Naqvi directed to arrange the necessary equipment, machinery and human resources in advance and said that negligence in arrangements will not be tolerated. He said that the federal government will be approached for taking prompt steps for the early completion of the Kachhi Canal extension project. The CM directed to ensure the availability of authentic information about the weather by using modern technology and people should be kept informed about weather and river situation by using social media and other platforms. Provincial Ministers SM Tanveer, Amir Mir, Mansoor Qadir, Azfar Ali Nasir, Bilal Afzal, Inspector General Police, Additional Chief Secretary, Additional IG Special Branch, Secretaries of Agriculture, C&W, Local Government, Housing, Health, Finance, Information & Livestock depts, Commissioner Lahore Division, DG Provincial Disaster Management Authority, DG Rescue 1122, DGPR and related officials attended the meeting while all Divisional Commissioners participated in the meeting through video link.
Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi and Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting to deliberate on cotton support price and discussed measures to ensure that growers receive the fixed price of their crops. The meeting was attended by chairman FBR, group leader APTMA Gohar Ejaz, Fuad Mukhtar, Anwar Ghani, and senior officials from the finance ministry.
Meanwhile, following his visit to the Akbar Chowk flyover project, CM Mohsin Naqvi advised the cotton growers not to undersell their crop and emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring the sale of cotton at a minimum rate of 8,500 rupees per maund. He reassured the farmers that they would receive the full value for their cotton produce. He urged the commissioners and deputy commissioners to enforce this rate in their respective areas. The prime minister and the Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar are also actively involved in addressing this issue, he added.
The CM further stated that there is, currently, no major flood threat in Punjab, and the government is taking steps to eliminate illegal settlements and encroachments along the riverbanks. Continuous monitoring of water inflows is being carried out, with reports being compiled every six hours. He expressed confidence in completing development projects in Lahore on schedule and mentioned that the Akbar Chowk project is progressing as planned, with efforts to mitigate any delays caused by rainfall.
The commissioner/DG LDA briefed that out of the 31 pile caps, 7 have been completed, with work actively underway on the 8th pile cap. The construction of piers is in progress, with concreting for the shafts of 4 piers already accomplished. Additionally, a notable milestone has been reached with the completion of 4 out of 66 box graders. Construction work is ongoing for 10 U-turns, and rigid concrete work for 3 U-turns has already been finalized, while the piling process for one U-turn has also been completed.
Provincial Ministers Mansoor Qadir, Azfar Ali Nasir, Amir Mir, CCPO Lahore, Chief Engineer LDA, MD WASA, CTO Lahore, and others were also present.
Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi visited LDA’s one window cell in Johar Town today and ordered to change the entire staff on complaints of citizens. He listened to the problems of the visitors who piled their complaints in front of the CM and said that they are forced to visit it again and again but there is no progress on the submitted applications for many months. They also complained about the staff asking for bribes. Some said that they have been coming for many months, and every time, they are told to come next time.
The CM expressed his anger at the poor performance and ordered to depute new staff immediately. He directed DG LDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa to improve the working of one window cell within 14 days and the applications of citizens should be dealt with within the timeline. He warned that immediate action will be taken on complaints of bribery through a policy of zero tolerance. He asked the Addl DG LDA Housing for immediate redressal of citizens’ complaints and ordered to dispose of pending applications within the stipulated period adding that the problems of the citizens should be solved in the best way.
Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi has said in his tweet on the social networking site Twitter that he visited LDA One Window Cell but the performance of the staff working in One Window Cell is unsatisfactory. Mohsin Naqvi said that the entire staff of One Window Cell has been changed and he ordered to solve the problems of the citizens in 14 days. Mohsin Naqvi said that he will review the performance of One Window Cell after 14 days; bribery and any kind of corruption will not be tolerated and such elements will be dealt with sternly. Mohsin Naqvi said that the provision of good services to the public will be ensured at all costs.
Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi said in his message on the occasion of World Population Day that the growing population is a big challenge; Pakistan is the 5th largest country in terms of population. He said that the growing population is influencing a negative impact on the resources of Pakistan. Promoting responsible family planning for a better future is the need of the hour, he added. The increasing population in cities and villages has increased economic and social problems. Mohsin Naqvi noted that a lack of basic facilities and equal opportunities results in socio-economic chaos in society. The importance of a balanced family and planning for population control has increased even more than before. This day is an opportunity to consider the sustainable solutions needed to deal with the effects of a growing population, he concluded.
