The Punjab Government would take a major step to make 6 cities slum-free by constructing 5200 tenements for the slumdwellers at the cost of Rs 273 crores.
In a meeting of Local Government Department, the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that SAD-BJP government was committed to improve the living standards of people living in the slums and it would fulfill its commitment to the electorates by constructing 5200 houses in the first phase to make 6 cities slum-free. He said that requisite funds have already been sanctioned to the authorities and local government department should expedite the work to provide tenements to the needy and eligible slum-dwellers.
Asking the officers of the Local Bodies Department to put the project of 100% sewerage cover in all cities on fast-track Mr. Badal said that he would not tolerate any quality deterioration in this ambitious Rs 2000 crore project. He asked the department to go for operation and maintenance contract of total sewerage network immediately after its construction for its proper utilization. Mr. Badal issued instructions for linking of total sewerage network with Sewerage Treatment Plants so that no untreated sewerage was released in any open drain, choe or canal.
Focusing on providing citizen friendly services to urban dwellers, Mr. Badal asked the local government department to operationlise Suwidha Kendras in each ward of each city to provide all citizen services under one roof. He said that the experiment of Fard Kendras and Saanjh Kendras has proved that how we can make the interaction of public with the government pleasant one. It was informed that DPR of this project has already been approved and consultancy would start its work very soon.
Coming down heavily on illegal hoardings dotting all cities, Mr. Badal said that strict instruction be issued to all Municipal Corporations and Committees to remove these hoarding forthwith otherwise erring MC Official would have to remain prepared for flak.
Mr. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary Urban Development, gave a brief of ongoing projects of Local Government Department.