Maryam Nawaz gives sanitation firms seven-day ultimatum

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has given authorities seven days to implement the Suthra Punjab beat system across the province. She has ordered strict action against underperforming sanitation companies and directed officials to ensure the timely payment of workers’ outstanding salaries and dues.

Chairing a meeting to review the progress of the cleanliness programme, the chief minister called for a comprehensive plan to improve sanitation services. She also directed authorities to submit a province-wide progress report by next week and ensure the availability of sufficient staff and machinery within seven days.

Under the revised performance criteria, private sanitation companies scoring below 80 per cent in any tehsil will receive warnings. However, contracts with companies scoring below 50 per cent will be terminated. The government will also activate its own sanitation operations within a week to maintain cleanliness in areas where private contractors fail to deliver satisfactory services.

Maryam Nawaz stressed that sanitation workers should not suffer because of contractors’ financial failures. She directed officials to recover outstanding payments from defaulting companies and develop a legal mechanism to ensure the timely disbursement of salaries and arrears.

The chief minister also ordered every tehsil to submit detailed weekly reports covering staffing levels, machinery deployment and field monitoring under the beat system. She said effective supervision was essential to improve service delivery and ensure accountability.

The meeting decided that rural areas must be cleaned at least every other day, while accumulated waste should be removed without delay. Assistant commissioners and Suthra Punjab programme officials in each tehsil will be held responsible for failures in cleanliness arrangements.

Officials also reviewed the existing waste collection and transportation system. A proposal to introduce a mobile application for sanitation workers was discussed to improve monitoring, track performance and strengthen accountability.

Meanwhile, anti-littering squads are operating across all divisions of Punjab. Officials informed the meeting that the teams had conducted around 264,000 visits to enforce sanitation standards, issue warnings for violations and raise public awareness about proper waste disposal.

The chief minister reviewed cleanliness reports from several tehsils and praised the Chakwal administration for improving sanitation in the district. She directed authorities across Punjab to strengthen their efforts and ensure the effective implementation of the provincial cleanliness programme.