GUJRAT: Political rivals former prime minister and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan are scheduled to visit the district next month, the parties’ sources say.

According to PML-N sources, Nawaz Sharif is due in Kotla town of the district where he will address a public rally on the invitation of party MNA Abid Raza Kotla on March 4. Maryam Nawaz will also accompany her father during the visit. Similarly, as per PTI sources, the party cheif Imran Khan will arrive in the district on March 13 where he is scheduled to attend workers’ conventions in different areas, including Sara-i-Alamgir, Kharian, Lalamusa and Jalalpur Jattan towns, besides the city.

They say Mr Khan has decided to visit the district on the demand of PTI local workers

Meanwhile, PML-N leader retired Capt Muhammad Safdar was in the district for the last two days. He visited various towns to attend corner meetings organised by the local party cadre to muster support for Kotla rally.

On Monday, he visited Kotla town to inspect the sports stadium -- the venue for the upcoming public meeting of the PML-N -- and held a meeting with the local party workers.

Later, Mr Safdar paid a visit to the residence of the party’s Gujrat district president MPA Malik Hanif Awan at Gurha Jattan village and met with Mr Awan’s nephew and ex-MNA Jamil Awan since the MPA was in Lahore to attend a party meeting in connection with Senate election.

On Tuesday, Mr Safdar attended a meeting at Jalalpur Jattan.

The district administration has also started preparation for the PML-N public meeting. In this connection, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa inspected the proposed site for the public meeting with the other officials.

Meanwhile, Punjab chapter of the PTI has convened a meeting of the party officials from the district on Feb 28 (today) to finalise the route and other arrangements for the party chairman’s visit.

filtration plants: At least 36 water filtration plants will be installed mainly in the urban localities of three tehsils of the district where sub-soil drinking water has been found polluted. Civic agencies have been directed to look for locations for the plants.

The local government department has issued directions to the district administration for execution of the project.

Local government Deputy Director Khurram Mehmood Tarehngi said 12 filtration plants would be installed in the limits of Gujrat Municipal Corporation for which eight sites had been identified and sub-soil water samples from there tested in laboratory.

Two plants would be installed in Kunjah municipality’s limits, five in Jalalpur Jattan city, six Lalamusa, three each in Kharian and Dinga municipalities and five plants would be installed in Sara-i-Alamgir.

The decision to install the filtration plants was taken in the wake of a recent report according to which drinking water in urban areas of Gujrat district had been found contaminated and polluted with arsenic and sewage in the water supply lines.

In 2009, the Punjab government had started laying new water supply pipelines in Gujrat city, but the project was yet to be completed even after a lapse of nine years.

VACANT MS POST: The Punjab government has not posted a medical superintendent (MS) at Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital (ABSTH) after suspension of Dr Shahid around a week ago when a woman giving birth in the hospital’s compound after not being admitted to a ward.

Efforts were underway by the district administration to either get the suspended MS reinstated or post another officer as daily affairs of the hospital were suffering.

In October last year, the then medical superintendent had also been suspended due to alleged poor performance; the hospital and patients have been suffering due to lack of administrative control of the MS particularly over doctors regarding their duties.

Locals have urged the Punjab government to take necessary measures to improve the performance of the ABSTH. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has approved at least 396 new posts at the hospital, including consultants, medical specialists, medical officers, nurses, paramedical staff and junior posts. There was shortage of human resource after it was upgraded to a 492-bed hospital.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2018