On Friday, the Punjab government rolled out a biometric verification system for issuing and registering marriage, birth, and death certificates at union councils.
Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique launched the Civil Registration Management System. This platform belongs to the Digital Punjab, Transparent Punjab program, and works to stop fraudulent registrations while keeping the process transparent.
The National Database and Registration Authority partnered with the Punjab Local Government Department to build the platform. Officials must now verify fingerprints against the national database before printing any documents.
Minister Zeeshan Rafique explained at the launch event that the project delivers clear and open public services while stopping fake documents.
The rollout will happen in phases covering every union council in Punjab, letting residents secure valid documents without depending on favors or paying bribes, according to the Minister.
He commended the staff from NADRA and the local government department for the launch, noting that the work matches Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif's goal of bringing public services straight to the population.
Later, the Minister led a meeting at the Suthra Punjab Authority Office to check cleanup work across the Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Gujranwala divisions.
Umer Javed, who serves as the Director General of the Suthra Punjab Authority, gave a briefing on cleanup progress. Attendees joining through a video link included Local Government Director General Benish Fatima and Asim Mehmood, the Chief Minister's Focal Person for Suthra Punjab, alongside municipal and local government staff.
Union council secretaries must manage cleanliness in the villages they oversee, the Minister stated. He pointed out that municipal employees will monitor the field due to the smog season, and demanded quick reports on any burning of garbage or crop residues.
Assistant and deputy directors of local government will join the oversight efforts, while municipal officers hold assigned duties across urban wards, he added. He also recommended focusing on trash piling up in empty lots.
