Lahore, 3 November, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has given provincial authorities 15 days to ensure a complete improvement in cleanliness arrangements across the province, expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of solid waste management companies. Chairing a special meeting to review the Suthra Punjab programme, the chief minister decided in principle to discontinue the services of companies failing to meet cleanliness standards and approved shifting sanitation operations to a self-management model in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan. Expressing concern over dust and garbage on roads, Maryam Nawaz directed authorities to ensure daily washing of major roads and impose fines on individuals found littering after cleaning operations. She also ordered strict action against those dumping waste in markets, bazaars, vegetable, fruit and grain markets. The meeting set targets for ensuring sufficient sanitation staff and machinery in every district, while directing that villages be cleaned on alternate days. The chief minister instructed deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners to hold weekly meetings with Field Monitoring Officers and develop key performance indicators to assess their performance. She further directed authorities to ensure timely payment of salaries to sanitation workers in all cities and localities, stressing that no worker should face delays in receiving wages. Maryam Nawaz sought detailed reports from deputy commissioners regarding machinery requirements for sanitation operations and the expected savings under the self-operation model. The meeting also discussed imposing fines on owners of vacant plots where garbage was found dumped. Deputy commissioners of Multan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Hafizabad, Muzaffargarh and other districts briefed the meeting on cleanliness arrangements in their respective areas. The chief minister directed all deputy commissioners to personally inspect the availability and condition of sanitation machinery and equipment in their districts. She also scheduled a follow-up meeting on the Suthra Punjab programme after one week to assess progress and ensure effective implementation of the cleanliness drive.