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LAHORE, Nov 26 (APP):Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique has said that with the approval of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, 443 villages of 10 divisions of Punjab are being made model villages. Work on development schemes will start in 224 villages from mid-December next month.
He was presiding over a progress review meeting of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “Model Village” program held at the Civil Secretariat. Officials of Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company (PRMSC) gave briefing.
Minister Zeeshan Rafique said that in the first phase, work will be done in 36 villages of Sargodha and 40 villages of Sahiwal division. “Similarly, he went on, “53 villages of Gujranwala and 46 villages of Gujarat will be made model villages. 62 villages of Multan and 36 villages of DG Khan are also included in this program”.
The minister said that under the Model Village Program, modern municipal services will be provided in 46 villages of Sheikhupura district of Lahore division as well, while 46 villages of Rawalpindi, 47 of Bahawalpur, and 31 villages of Faisalabad will become model villages too. “The PC-1 and tendering process is underway under the supervision of PRMSC. Water supply, drainage, and waste water treatment systems will be introduced in every village”, he added.
Zeeshan Rafique said that children’s parks will be developed in the model villages while the streets will be paved. “The program also includes reviving the dying traditional culture of ponds in the villages”, he pledged.
The provincial minister directed to use beautiful tiles for flooring in villages like Lahore and emphasized that the services of experienced experts of the Lahore Development Program should be utilized. “Consultations with local elected representatives should also be taken into account”, he urged. Zeeshan Rafique said that the first phase of the Model Village Program will be completed in 10 months and will benefit 3.4 million people. “The drain design has been made keeping in mind the cleanliness of livestock waste so that the drains do not get clogged with livestock waste”, he concluded.