LAHORE: The Punjab government is considering creating the Punjab Water Supply, Sewerage, Sanitation, Solid Waste Management Authority (PWSSSWMA) to provide all municipal services under one platform and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has constituted an 11-member committee to be headed by Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq.
According to the notification issued on Friday, Punjab Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Punjab Law Minister Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bharath, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Vice-Chancellor Professor Ali Cheema, the Additional Chief Secretary Punjab, the Planning and Development Board Chairman, the provincial secretaries of housing, local government, law, finance, the Urban Unit CEO and the Commissioner Lahore will be member of the committee. This committee will prepare proposals regarding the establishment of an authority to provide quality municipal services to the public at all levels.
Meanwhile, during the maiden meeting of the committee, the Punjab Local Government Minister said that the Chief Minister wants to provide maximum services to the people and thus, 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 expressed the hope that the establishment of the new authority would eliminate many complications as well.
On this occasion, the Punjab Specialized 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 concerned departments in this committee will enable us to consider all aspects of providing quality services,” he added.
The Punjab Law Minister said that all aspects will be reviewed before enacting the legislation for the establishment of the new authority. “The committee will prepare concrete proposals and send them to the Chief Minister,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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