Punjab govt plans to carry out digital mapping of 36 districts

FAISALABAD – The Punjab government has unveiled a plan to carry out digital mapping of 36 districts of the province for the accurate identification of particular areas in each district.
The process will help the government have a precise area-wise study and planning of the infrastructure of urban and rural development in addition to its primary function of identifying, in minute details, the residential and commercial areas of the districts.
These views were expressed by Punjab Local Government and Community Development Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal who was in Faisalabad this week to discuss the matter with the city district government officials. He directed the officers concerned to draw out an action plan in collaboration with urban development units to complete the task of digital mapping of the districts.
Digital mapping is the process by which a collection of data is compiled and formatted into a virtual image. The primary function of this technology is to produce maps that give accurate representations of a particular area, detailing major road arteries and other landmarks of interest vital for the local networks. The technology also allows the calculation of distances from once place to another.
During a meeting held at District the DCO office, Khizar Hayat directed the officials to expedite work on the functioning of water purification plants. The issues such as implementation of building control by-laws, cleanliness arrangements and other municipal affairs were also reviewed during the meeting that was attended by Secretary Housing Punjab Suhail Aamir, DCO Naseem Sadiq, Faisalabad Development Authority Director General Rashid Majeed, WASA Managing Director Syed Zahid Aziz, Parks and Horticulture Authority Managing Director Misbahul Hassan Dar, EDOs, Dos, TMAs’ administrators, TMOs and other senior officials.
The Local Government and Community Development secretary appreciated the revolutionary steps taken by the DCO for urban development, roads expansion and beautification of the city.
“The ongoing initiatives taken by the city district government for the relief of the public were being appreciated at the highest level in the Punjab government,” he said.
He directed the officials of administrative and development agencies to deliver their departmental services in a coordinated manner so that the development schemes could be completed rapidly. He said enforcement of building rules should be ensured and the housing colonies should be brought into the ambit of these rules and regulations for an organised development of the city.
He also directed the district authorities to reactivate the existing water filtration plants, providing safe drinking water in the district to improve the quality of life in the region. He advised the Parks and Horticulture Authority managing director to submit a proposal for the beautification project of Faisalabad that would be considered for provision of funds in the next budget.
The local government secretary said the uplift schemes of the chief minister’s package must be given priority for timely completion of the proposed schemes so that people of the area could benefit from these welfare schemes without delay.
Housing Secretary Suhail Aamir directed the WASA managing director to carry out a massive campaign to clean sewerage lines with the cooperation of the TMAs to ensure the smooth outflow of waste water. He further said that all ongoing WASA schemes should be completed without delay. “In case of any technical or administrative obstacle found in the completion of sewerage schemes should immediately be brought to the notice of the DCO and joint efforts made for its removal,” he said.
Industrialists praised for not closing units despite power crisis: To keep the wheels of production going in Faisalabad amid the terrible gas and electricity crisis is a crusade and those who are still running their units under the current circumstances must be praised for their devotion and loyalty to Pakistan, said National Assembly Standing Committee for Textile Chairman Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari.
Speaking at a meeting called by Faisalabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) to discuss the current crisis and the outstanding problems of textile industry, he said, “We have to shun all sorts of provincialism, ethnic and lingual discriminations so as to create employment opportunities to working class.”
He praised the local industrialists for not locking out their units despite the heavy losses caused by the power and gas crises and assured them of making every effort to mitigate their sufferings.
PML-N MNA Haji Akram Ansari said, “We are taking up the matter with the Council of Common Interests to ensure the equitable distribution of electricity and gas to all the provinces without any discrimination,” he added.
He told the businessmen that efforts would be made for the prompt settlement of duty draw backs claims of exporters. He thanked the FCCI community for highlighting the burning issues of the textile sector and sharing their problems with the standing committee for textile.
Spelling out the intensity of the power crisis, Adhoc Management Committee Chairman Naseer Ahmed said industrial sector, especially textile, had been badly hit by the crisis. “At least 20,000 textile units have been closed and those remaining in the field are working merely 40-50 percent of their capacity,” he said.