R A W A L P I N D I : Provincial Minister for Housing Billal Yasin on Monday asked the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) to speed up work on the beautification of the city and complete the improvement of parks.

He issued the direction while chairing a special board meeting of the PHA at the commissioner`s office. Special Secretary Mohammad Tayyab, PHA Director General Ahmed Hassan Ranjha and senior officials attended the meeting.

The special board meeting was held to give approval for regularisation of daily-wage employees on the directives of the chief minister.

The meeting also reviewed the performance of PHA Rawalpindi and appreciated it for facilities provided to the public in the parks.

The meeting directed the PHA to take further steps regarding the recreational facilities for tourists and citizens.

In a briefing, the meeting was informed that special arrangements had been made to ensure protection of flooring plants from severe weather effects in the greenbelts and parks of the city.

Seasonal flowering plants have been cultivated on various highways and greenbelts of Rawalpindi.

The protection of these plants against weather effects is being made top priority of PHA.

The PHA director general said the authority was ensuring green culture in parks and greenbelts of the city and was committed to providing ample recreational facilities to the citizens.

`PH A has planted winter flowering plants in greenbelts and parks across the city and will also ensure proper arrangements to protect them from severe weather effects,` he said.