LAHORE, Dec 13: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said negotiations are in progress with various local and foreign companies to take up sanitation drive in big cities

He said initially these companies would be entrusted with the responsibility of removing garbage from big cities except Lahore.

This was stated by him on the occasion of briefing given by Violia Faranc Environment Services, the number one French Company in the world of waste management, at Chief Minister's Secretariat here on Saturday.

According to a handout, LDA DG, Lahore Commissioner and DCO, MDs of Solid Waste Management and WASA, and Chairman, Task Force on Horticulture, also participated in the briefing.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said he was interested in negotiations with such a company which could not only collect waste but also generate energy by its utilization.

He said that Violia Faranc had vast experience in this sector and it should also give a complete package for this purpose in Punjab, including technology, management, machines and all equipment for energy generation from waste.

The chief minister said since he was interested in immediate cleaning of cities, the company should make a plan on a priority basis. He said that the Punjab government would ensure transparency in the project and third party audit system would also be adopted for reviewing the performance.

He said that the companies should have to run the project of solid waste management on a commercial basis. He directed LDA DG to hold a meeting with the representatives of Violia Faranc and settle necessary matters.

The LDA DG said advertisements were being published for expression of interest for acquiring the services of different foreign and local companies in order to clean various cities of the province and after prequalification, the company would be selected for this purpose.

He said initially this programme would be started in six big cities of the province except Lahore. The representative of Violia Faranc informed the meeting that his company was working in 35 countries of the world and it had 797 treatment plants.