LAHORE:Additional Chief Secretary Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo visited the Commissioner’s Office in Gujranwala and chaired an important meeting of divisional and district officers to review progress on ongoing administrative, development and public welfare initiatives across the division.
Commissioner Gujranwala and Gujrat Divisions Muhammad Ali, Deputy Commissioner Gujranwala Naveed Ahmed, deputy commissioners of other districts and officers from various departments attended the meeting, said a handout issued here on Sunday.
The meeting reviewed the implementation of government policies, public welfare initiatives of Chief Minister Punjab, progress on development projects, improvement of civic amenities and performance across various governance sectors.
Additional Chief Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo directed the officers to ensure effective implementation of government priorities and emphasised that no negligence or unnecessary delay in providing relief to the public would be tolerated. He said that the fundamental responsibility of administrative officers was to resolve public issues promptly, improve the delivery of public services and complete development projects within stipulated timelines. All departments were directed to achieve their targets through effective coordination, an integrated strategy and robust monitoring. He stressed the need to ensure transparency, merit and accountability in official affairs, directing officers to increase their field presence instead of remaining confined to their offices. They were instructed to personally inspect ongoing projects, public facilities and the performance of government institutions.
He further emphasised that quality must not be compromised in projects of public importance, available resources must be utilised efficiently, and practical measures must be taken to ensure that the benefits of development schemes reach ordinary citizens.
During the meeting, Commissioner Muhammad Ali gave a detailed briefing to the Additional Chief Secretary Punjab on ongoing administrative and development activities, departmental performance and implementation of government initiatives across the division.
He informed the meeting that work was underway on various initiatives, including the Suthra Punjab Programme, Punjab Development Programme (PDP), WASA and Local Government projects, Mass Transit Corridor, OSR schemes, improvement of urban infrastructure and provision of public amenities.
Highlighting key development projects, the Commissioner briefed the meeting on progress regarding the establishment of a library, construction and improvement of Classke Road, Lady Park Kamoke, Eminabad Family Park, Saroke Family Park, Nawaz Sharif Family Park Gujrat, upgradation of General Bus Stand Gujrat, Dak Khana Road Mandi Bahauddin, Sublime Chowk Sialkot, upgradation of Iqbal Manzil, Khayaban-e-Iqbal Park and Sagar Road Hafizabad, among other schemes.
He also briefed the meeting on Narowal Public School, various beautification schemes and projects aimed at improving basic civic facilities in urban areas.
The meeting was further informed about the Chief Minister Punjab’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Programme and ongoing initiatives in the agriculture sector, including agricultural extension services, Kisan Card, Green Tractor Scheme and the establishment of model farms.
The implementation status of other public welfare initiatives was also reviewed, including measures against hoarding and profiteering, the Chief Minister Punjab’s Electric Green Buses, the Clean Water Programme and other public facilitation projects.
Regarding governance and administrative reforms, the Commissioner highlighted various initiatives, including the Governance Initiative, e-Foas, e-Biz, Apna Khet Apna Rozgar, digitisation of revenue estates and computerisation of revenue records, including Khewat and Intiqalat.
He said that these initiatives aimed to promote transparency in the government system, facilitate public service delivery, ensure effective redressal of public grievances and modernise administrative processes.
Reviewing the progress of ongoing projects and departmental performance across Gujranwala and Gujrat divisions, Additional Chief Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo directed the concerned departments to accelerate work on all development schemes, strengthen monitoring mechanisms to achieve stipulated targets and immediately remove bottlenecks hindering project completion. He made it clear that delays in projects of public importance would not be tolerated and directed officers at all levels to demonstrate responsibility and ensure that the benefits of government initiatives reached the people.
Officers from various departments also presented updates on ongoing projects, departmental performance and future action plans.
The Additional Chief Secretary directed all relevant institutions to work in close coordination to achieve administrative and development targets, reiterating that public relief, improved governance and continuity of the development process must remain their foremost priorities.