The Punjab government has started considering to create an authority to provide all municipal services from a single platform.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has constituted an 11 member high-powered committee to form the proposed Punjab Water Supply, Sewerage, Sanitation, Solid Waste Management Authority (PWSSSWMA), headed by Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq.
According to the notification, Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique, Minister for Communication and Works, Law Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bharath, Vice Chancellor Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Professor Ali Cheema, Additional Chief Secretary Punjab, Chairman P&D, Housing, Local Government, Law, Finance Secretaries, CEO Urban Unit and Commissioner Lahore will be member of ‘PWSSSWMA’ Committee. This committee will prepare proposals regarding the establishment of an authority to provide quality municipal services to the public at all levels.
The first meeting of the ‘PWSSSWMA’ committee was held at the Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Local Government Minister.
All members including Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Khurram Khan Virk participated. Secretary of the Committee, Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company MD Syed Zahid Aziz gave a briefing on the models used in other countries of the world.
Addressing the meeting, Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif wants to create maximum convenience for the people. “There should be an effective system of quality municipal service delivery at the grassroots level, which requires elimination of duplication of departments for clear delineation of civic services”, he observed. Zeeshan Rafiq expressed the hope that the establishment of an authority would eliminate many complications as well.
On this occasion, Minister for Specialized Health Khawaja Salman Rafique said that with the increase in population, the efficiency of the departments will have to be increased. “Representation of all concerned departments in this committee will enable consideration of every aspect”, he hoped. Law, Communications and Works Minister Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bharath said that all aspects will be reviewed before enacting legislation for the establishment of the new authority. “The committee will prepare concrete proposals and send them to the Chief Minister”, he added.
