Punjab chief minister sets a seven-day deadline for sanitation improvements, introduces stricter performance standards for private contractors and orders timely payment of workers’ outstanding dues.

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

Chairing a meeting to review the progress of the provincial cleanliness programme, Maryam called for a comprehensive plan to improve sanitation services. She directed officials to submit a province-wide progress report by next week and ensure adequate staffing and machinery within seven days.

Under revised performance criteria, private sanitation companies scoring below 80% in any tehsil will receive warnings. Contracts with companies scoring below 50% will be terminated, according to the decisions outlined at the meeting.

The government will also activate its own sanitation operations within a week to maintain cleanliness in areas where private contractors fail to provide satisfactory services.

Action Over Workers’ Unpaid Salaries

Maryam 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 payment of salaries and arrears.

The directives aim to address both service delivery and financial obligations within the sanitation system, with authorities expected to enforce accountability among private contractors.

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 emphasized the importance of effective supervision to improve service delivery and ensure that sanitation operations meet the prescribed standards.

Rural Cleaning and Accountability Measures

The meeting decided that rural areas must be cleaned at least every other day, while accumulated waste must be removed without delay.

Assistant commissioners and Suthra Punjab programme officials in each tehsil will be held responsible for failures in cleanliness arrangements. The directives place responsibility on local administrations to monitor operations and address shortcomings in their respective areas.

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

Anti-Littering Campaign Across Punjab

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

Maryam also reviewed cleanliness reports from several tehsils and praised the Chakwal administration for improvements in sanitation across the district.

She directed authorities throughout Punjab to strengthen their efforts and ensure effective implementation of the provincial cleanliness programme.

The seven-day deadline, revised performance thresholds and proposed government-led sanitation operations are central to the administration’s latest measures to improve waste collection, monitor contractors and hold local officials accountable for cleanliness standards.