Punjab CM Announces Ration Cards for 150,000 Suthra Punjab Workers
Oct 8, 2025
Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced a major welfare initiative for sanitation workers during the Suthra Punjab ceremony on Tuesday, unveiling ration cards for 150,000 Suthra Punjab employees. The program recognizes their crucial role in keeping cities, towns, and villages clean across the province.
“Today, I am proud to wear the uniform of the Suthra Punjab team. If I can wear a commando uniform, I can certainly wear the uniform of those who keep Punjab shining,” said Maryam Nawaz, praising the dedication of sanitation workers as the “true heroes of Punjab.”
The Chief Minister highlighted the bravery of these workers during recent floods, noting their contributions alongside Rescue 1122, police, civil defense, and local authorities. She also acknowledged Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique and the Secretary of Local Government for efficiently managing the province’s sanitation operations.
Punjab’s 150,000-member Suthra Punjab force is now recognized as the largest sanitation team in the world, equipped with 35,000 modern sanitation machines and thousands of waste containers distributed across all districts. Maryam Nawaz pledged that a fully modernized system would be operational province-wide within a year.
“Public perception has shifted. Workers are no longer called ‘garbage collectors’; they are respected as ‘cleanliness workers,’” she added.
The CM also contrasted the current administration’s performance with past governments, noting rapid improvements in waste management and flood response, and citing quicker clearing of Eid-ul-Azha animal waste as an example of enhanced efficiency.
In addition to sanitation initiatives, Maryam Nawaz reaffirmed her commitment to education, healthcare, infrastructure, and public welfare, announcing scholarships and laptops for deserving students. She also highlighted a reduction in Punjab’s crime rate, assuring swift action against harassment cases.
Concluding her speech, the Chief Minister emphasized the rights of citizens to cleanliness, education, jobs, and progress, stating:
“Punjab is witnessing a revolution of cleanliness and development. Citizens should hold their governments accountable if roads are broken or essentials are costly. I am determined to deliver these rights.”
The announcement marks a significant step in improving working conditions, social recognition, and welfare support for sanitation workers across Punjab.
