BAHAWALPUR: The divisional administration has decided to take comprehensive measures for the preservation of heritage, monuments, historical places and beautify three districts of the division with a view to converting them into green cities and promote tourism and recreation facilities.

According to a handout, a decision to the effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Divisional Commissioner Dr .

Ehtesham Anwar Mahar here on Wednesday.

The high-level meeting was participated in by three deputy commissioners Zaheer Anwear Jappa, Shakil Ahmed Bhatti and Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhon of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalnagar respectively in addition to Managing Director Mahar Khalid Ahmed of Cholistan Development Authority (CDA), Bahawalpur Director General Ms.Rubina Iqbal Abbasi of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA).

The commissioner informed the meeting that in order to beautifythe three districts of the division, allavailablegovernmentresources would be utilised and under public-private partnership, the recreation facilities would be set up in the areas to be identified by the respective district administrations.

The commissioner directed the officials to add more recreation facilities to improve the public parks, play grounds and the renovation of the historic buildings be carried out with the installation of modern and latest lights to make them beautiful and attractive for the general public.

He said public parks should be equipped with all sorts of necessary equipment to provide maximum facilities to the youth and sportsmen in all games.

In addition, Dr. Ehtesham Anwar Mahar asked Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Naeem Akhtar of Bahawalpur Waste Management Company (BWMC) to launch a campaign to create awareness among the people.

He also ordered to make the idle and non-functional traffic signals operative to reduce traffic problems and vehicular pressure on the roads in all cities.

The deputy commissionersbriefed the commissioner about the uplift projects being carried out in their respective districts.

It merits mentioning that most of the heritage including historical buildings and several crumbling forts were located in the vast desert of Cholistan along the Indian border touching the territorial areas of Rajasthan.

SMUGGLING BID FOILED: The Lodhran district administration claimed to have foiled a smuggling bid by nine trucks laden with wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and arrested 10 people in the outskirts of Lodhran on Wednesday.

According to a handout, Deputy Commissioner Lodhran Syed Mashad Raza Kazmi said a joint raiding team of the district administration and food department working on a tip-off, blocked the check post at Basti Malook.

Nine trucks and tractor-trolleys laden with 10,000 wheat worth Rs120 million were seized and brought back to the food department`s godowns in Lodhran.

The DC said nine people were arrested and FIRs against them registered with basti Malook and Lodhran police stations.