Funds released for local governments by Punjab govt: CM Buzdar

LAHORE: Punjab chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar expressed outrage over the officials on the poor sanitary situation in a number of places across the province, ARY News reported.

Usman Buzdar, while chairing a high-level meeting on Sunday over Punjab local bodies, said that the fact that local body officials weren’t moved in spite of all the filth in their areas was displeasing. He remarked that they don’t deserve to hold the posts if they are not willing to do the needful, referring to those officials.

Buzdar advised officials to avoid lapses in redressing grievances of the people. He said the Local Government funds have been resumed now and asserted that the provincial government was preparing for local body elections. “The development work on the grassroots level will be felt by people on their doorsteps.”

On the promotions of engineers appointed by local bodies, the minister said based on their merit it will be expedited while the appointments on vacancies for building inspectors must be fulfilled as well.

Read: Local bodies’ polls in Punjab may be held by 2020-end: PM Imran told

Speaking of Baldiaonline app, Buzdar said its number of users reaching beyond 200,000 people was heartening. Using this app, he said, the citizens could avail six services ranging from marriages to the birth of children. He explained that people could register complaints about local body issues sitting at home.

The meeting further discussed the imminent polls for the local bodies, ensuring smooth polling process, among other things.

Earlier in June, Prime Minister Imran Khan had been briefed on local bodies’ elections in the Punjab province and it was told that the polls would be held by the end of 2020.

The meeting had been attended by Punjab CM Usman Buzdar, provincial ministers and government officials where the prime minister directed them to make local bodies system functional in the province at earliest.