Internal Accountability Board established in Housing Dept

LAHORE:Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Department has constituted its very first Internal Accountability Board (IAB) to ensure transparency in allied departments.

The initiative was taken out by the newly-posted Secretary HUD&PHD Noorul Amin Mengal, who was earlier serving as Home Secretary Punjab. Talking to the scribe, he said IAB was established for the first time in the department. The Housing Department carried out development works worth billions of rupees and strong accountability will help maintain transparency in public projects, he maintained.

He said IAB will take action against corruption complaints in Housing Department and its subordinate institutions. The board will also investigate corruption and corrupt practices and recommend action under PEDA Act.

Mengal said the IAB will also recommend reforms and policy measures in authorities and agencies to stop corruption and corrupt practices. As per the notification issued in this regard, Special Secretary Housing and Public Health Department was appointed as the convener of the IAB and Section Officer (Discipline) was nominated as the secretary of the board.

Meanwhile, Secretary Housing and Urban Development Noorul Amin Mengal has directed the officers concerned to make all underground water tanks in provincial capital operational before monsoon.

Noorul Amin Mengal issued these directions during his visit to Wasa’s Waris Road underground water tank here on Thursday. He directed to install boundary wall at project site and further directed to build boundary walls at all similar sites as safety of human life was top priority and no compromise will be made on it. Wasa Punjab DG Tayyab Farid and Wasa Lahore MD Ghufran Ahmed briefed the Secretary Housing about the project.