Lahore: Punjab Minister for Communication and Works (CandW) Malik Sohaib Ahmad Bharth on Wednesday directed all field officers to remain in the field during the ongoing monsoon season and ensure prompt implementation of safety measures to minimise public inconvenience.
Chairing a meeting to review rain emergency arrangements here, the minister received online briefings from Executive Engineers (XENs) and Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) across the province. Secretary Communication and Works Raja Jahangir Anwar, the Special Secretary, Additional Secretary and other senior officers attended the meeting, which also reviewed the field presence of CandW teams in all 38 districts.
The minister instructed officers to remain in the field instead of their offices during rainfall and directed that red warning cloths be placed at waterlogged locations on roads to alert motorists. He also ordered that all under-construction projects be properly covered, while beldars and overseers should remain present on roads to ensure public safety.
Malik Sohaib Ahmad Bharth directed the CandW Mechanical Division to keep its machinery operational in the field and ensure the immediate drainage of rainwater from underpasses, bypasses and other vulnerable locations. He stressed the need to give special attention to drainage arrangements during rain emergencies.
The minister warned that strict action would be taken against officers found negligent or those failing to ensure adequate safety measures or implement the prescribed standard operating procedures (SOPs).