LAHORE - Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar Tuesday bursts with anger as he threatened to expose the bureaucrats creating hurdles in the way of Aab-i-Pak Authority. “Enough is enough. Bureaucrats should mend their ways or he would be compelled to expose them though press conference next Wednesday”, he said.
He was talking to media persons after inaugurating filtration plant installed by the Sarwar Foundation at the Deputy Commissioner Office, Lahore, here. Sarwar Foundation Vice-Chairperson Begum Perveen Sarwar and district administration officials were also present on the occasion.
The Governor deplored that some bureaucrats had become so senseless that they had no remorse even if the children of a lesser God would die by drinking unsafe water. He said that he could no more make lame excuses before the people for the delay in providing safe drinking water to them. Reprimanding the bureaucrats for putting roadblocks in the way of Aab-i-Pak Authority, the Governor said this agency was created to provide safe drinking water to people at their doorsteps.
Governor Punjab said it was his life-long dream and objective to provide clean and safe drinking water to people in Punjab as well as in other provinces. He said that he was working on the Aab-i-Pak Authority project for the past one-and-a-half-year since Prime Minister Imran Khan directed him to lead the project and ensure provision of safe drinking water to people across Punjab.
Chaudhry Sarwar said that he was committed to provide the basic human necessity to the people but some black sheep in the bureaucracy were trying to create hurdles in this project. “Some bureaucrats think that they will not let the Aab-i-Pak Authority function even if poor people continue dying for want of safe drinking water,” he observed. He regretted that the procedural snags had almost wasted two long years, otherwise some 20 million people would have been able to switch to save and clean drinking water by now. “I will hold a last meeting with the bureaucrats concerned in a few days to come and if their stubbornness continued, I expose them in a press conference next Wednesday,” the Governor asserted.
Governor Punjab said that he felt pain when he was told that children of the poor people were dying in hospitals due to water-borne diseases. But the bureaucrats were not moved even a bit, he added. He explained that Aab-i-Pak Authority’s file was moving from one office to another and facing road-blocks at almost every office.
He said bureaucrats should show some mercy towards the poor and vulnerable masses and let people get safe drinking water and live healthy. “I myself and the Aab-i-Pak Authority’s board will soon apprise Prime Minister Imran Khan about the ground realities,” he warned and stressed that it was high time people should get safe drinking water.
