Punjab govt to set up authority on municipal services: minister

LAHORE:The Punjab government will create an authority on provision of all municipal services at a single platform.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has constituted an 11-member 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 Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique, Minister for Communication and Works, Law Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bharth, LUMS Vice Chancellor Prof 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 general public at all levels. The first meeting of the 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 wanted 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.

The minister expressed the hope that the establishment of an authority would eliminate many complications as well. On this occasion, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said that with the increase in population, the efficiency of the departments will have to be increased. ‘Representation of all departments concerned in this committee will enable consideration of every aspect,’ he hoped.

Law, Communications and Works Minister Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bharth said that all aspects would 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.