FAISALABAD, Nov 24: Expectations are running high among citizens for a solution to their longstanding issues like construction of roads, availability of potable water, proper disposal of garbage and removal of encroachments during the four-day visit of Punjab chief secretary Javed Mahmood to Faisalabad division, starting from Tuesday (today).

It’s the maiden visit of the Punjab government hierarchy to any re-established division. Provincial secretaries of all public departments will also accompany the chief secretary.

A complaint cell has been established at the Commissioner Secretariat for submission of public complaints against any department and the staff has been asked to immediately inform the officials concerned for the solution of grievances.

Faisalabad division commissioner Zahid Saeed told reporters on Monday that the local government system had made most of the departments inefficient. He said that no mechanism of monitoring was available that could bridle the wrongdoings of unscrupulous elements.

He said according to the prescribed rules not a single penny under the rehabilitation and maintenance head could be spent on any newly- constructed road before a period of three years. He, however, said that district governments had spent funds, in some cases, even one year after the completion of roads.

He said the CS would be apprised of the longstanding issues of Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh and requested to make arrangements for their solution.

The chief secretary would also be informed about the ongoing, delayed and completed projects in the division, he said.

Mr Saeed said the immediate effect of the CS visit was that all departments had updated their record to steer clear of any action against them by the authorities concerned.

The commissioner said he would monitor the performance of all departments regarding the directions of the CS after his visit to the division and the negligent officials would have to face the music.

The visit of Punjab officials, he said, would enable them to ascertain the problems of the division that would assist them in future for devising any strategy for its betterment.

Sources said that a letter had already been forwarded to all departments informing them that the purpose of CS visit to different divisions was to strengthen the existing system that had been badly affected by the local government system.

The letter reads: “The local government system has eroded the writ of the government and made departments inefficient. The aim of the CS visit is to encourage officials for public service”.

All government departments and even the state-run schools remained open on Sunday to make the CS visit a success.

Heads of schools, both girls and boys, called their subordinates and students for making arrangements. Students were made to clean the classes and even grounds of their institutions. .

The CS will pay surprise visits to different areas, departments and schools to ascertain the whole story about the completed and ongoing projects.

The CS is expected to meet masses to know about the problems being faced by them at the hands of officials of different departments.

All secretaries have set up temporary offices at their respective departments and informed the commissioner secretariat for any sort of correspondence.

The chief secretary is visiting the division after a delay of one month.