LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Local Government and Community Development Mian Mahmoodur Rashid has reprimanded the government departments for showing lack of interest in resolving the civic issues, which are increasing day by day.

He said the lists of the staff posted for dengue control and sanitation in every area should be displayed at prominent places so that the citizens could also monitor them.

“There are many complaints from the public regarding price control, anti-encroachment, dengue control and cleanliness in Lahore. It seems that no one is serious enough to address them,” the minister lamented while presiding over a meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office on Friday.

“In a bid to reduce the increasing public complaints, I think, the departments are required to improve liaison with the public representatives,” he suggested to the officers.

The minister said the supervisors appointed by the PTI-led Punjab government complained that though the relevant departments were provided with ample staff and machinery, the issues related encroachments and other matters still persisted. He said the employees had been posted in every area but the cleanliness was still a dream.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali said he was listening to the complaints of the people in his office from 10am to 11am daily where any citizen could approach him directly. He directed the government officials to take all possible steps to solve public problems.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2022