Start cleaning, flood protection works, Punjab CM tells ACS

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann also asked the ACS to regularly oversee the flood protection works being undertaken in close coordination with the DCs across the state

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday directed the additional chief secretary, water resources, to initiate the cleaning and flood protection works at the vulnerable sites across the state well before the onset of monsoon.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann chaired a meeting to review the overall irrigation and drainage system, especially Ghaggar river and its tributaries, on Friday. (ANI)

Chairing a meeting to review the overall irrigation and drainage system, especially Ghaggar river and its tributaries, Mann asked the chief engineer, drainage, to positively start the cleaning of waterways beneath the bridges and removing the silt lumps besides strengthening the weak points prone to frequent flooding.

The CM also asked the ACS to regularly oversee the flood protection works being undertaken in close coordination with the DCs across the state.

Mann also directed the ACS to identify sites for developing waterfront so as to optimally tap the tourism potential with focus on developing water sports. He further asked the forest department to explore maximum opportunities for promotion of ecotourism.

New directives for employees

On the directives of chief minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab government has issued detailed guidelines to all the administrative secretaries, heads of department, divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure punctuality of all employees and officers for the convenience of general public coming from far-flung areas to these offices.

Likewise, fixed timings should be prescribed in the public-dealing offices besides ensuring good behaviour, extending basic courtesies and properly guiding them.

It has also been brought into notice that in some offices, there is a complete ban for general public to bring their mobile phones, thus causing lot of harassment to them. In view of this, now there would not be a complete prohibition on bringing mobile phones, but a partial ban could be imposed in this regard due to certain security reasons, where it is mandatory.