Rawalpindi - Expressing displeasure over delay and substandard work, Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday directed the contractors of Metro Bus Project to reconstruct the track at two sections within next four days.
The CM paid a surprise visit to the city and inspected the metro bus track from Saddar area of Rawalpindi to Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad, and found more substandard work and bumpy track. Upon finding the elevated road uneven, the CM directed the contractor of Package-II to reconstruct 60-meter long three patches from Committee Chowk to 6th Road within four days. The track from Committee Chowk to 6th Road was found unsmooth for vehicles as the road was bumpy.
The chief minister during inspection of metro track also expressed displeasure over the work from Parade Ground to Pakistan Secretariat. The track measuring 3.5 kilometres will be reconstructed in four days. The CM also asked the IESCO chief for underground wiring from Saddar to Chandani Chowk, as the provincial government has already made payment to the electric supply company in this regard prior to the start of the project.
He also asked the local government and RDA to make the plan of beautification of the area from Teli Mohalla to Naz Cinema, as the dilapidated buildings become an eyesore especially along the elevated road. The chief minister will get the daily briefing through videoconference from Monday (today) about the metro bus progress work.
Earlier, Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed briefed the CM regarding the process of metro bus construction and said that the project faced delay due to the sit-ins of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek. He further told Shahbaz Sharif that CCTV cameras have also been installed at as many as 24 metro bus stations.
While talking to media persons here after a surprise visit to Rawalpindi-Islamabad MBS project, the CM Punjab assured to commence the metro bus service in Rawalpindi soon. He said the poor will get better travelling facilities with the completion of the metro bus project. The chief minister said that Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service (MBS) project was in the final stages of completion, adding that it was very encouraging as the inauguration of the project was coming closer. He said that those who were criticising MBS project would be hiding their faces after its inauguration and a large number of citizens of twin cities, Rawalpindi-Islamabad, would soon be benefiting from this modern bus service.
He said that it was his desire that MBS facility should be available for the citizens of the twin cities at the earliest; therefore, speedy completion of the remaining work was being ensured. The CM said that the government was making all-out efforts to facilitate the citizens. He said no compromise would be made on the standard of construction work.
Shahbaz Sharif said that he was personally monitoring the project.
The chief minister said that Rawalpindi-Islamabad MBS project was started aimed at benefiting labourers, workers, doctors, government servants, students, working women and low-income people and it was a masterpiece of quality and transparency. He said that the people of Rawalpindi-Islamabad had shown extreme patience during construction work of the project and faced various problems for which he paid tributes to traders, students, employees and all the citizens.
Shahbaz Sharif said that the glorious journey of metro project which was started from Lahore was continuing successfully and soon citizens of the twin cities would receive the splendid gift of metro bus. He said that foundation of a new culture was being laid through metro bus projects and it would prove to be a milestone in modernising transport system.
Anti-dengue drive starts in capital today: The district health department Islamabad will start a weeklong anti-dengue campaign in the rural areas of the federal capital from today (Monday).
In-charge District Dengue Surveillance Cell, Dr Najeeb Durrani said in a statement issued here that 11 anti-dengue spray and fumigation teams have been constituted for carrying out anti-mosquito spray and sampling of larva under the supervision of district health department.
The campaign would focus on three important areas including community mobilization, sampling and fumigation, and elimination of breeding places.
The health department has also trained the participants of anti-dengue teams in a training session held here on Sunday. Dr Durrani further informed that teams of revenue department, local government and rural development, and union councils ICT would also be assisting health department teams in anti-dengue measures. Besides this, 300 lady health workers are starting door to door campaign to mobilise and educate the community about the preventive measures against dengue.
Seminars would be held at rural health centres to create awareness in the community and pamphlets would be distributed.
Sanitary inspectors would carry out fumigation at the public places.
The staff of union councils has been directed to ensure special cleanliness and timely disposal of solid waste in each union council. He advised the community to keep their houses and surrounding clean and take preventive measures against mosquitoes.