LGCD expresses concern over performance of DCs

LAHORE: The Local Government and Community Development (LGCD) Department has expressed its dissatisfaction over most deputy commissioners' performance regarding anti-encroachment drive currently underway across the province.

On the direction of Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, the LGCD had sought progress reports from all deputy commissioners about the ongoing anti-encroachment drive. In an official communiqué, the LGCD had expressed its reservation over deputy commissioners' performance in 24 districts. The department had also called for details from all deputy commissioners about their strategy to demolish illegal commercial buildings and report on targets achieved so far.

According to the official communiqué, only one-third of the deputy commissioners in all 36 districts of Punjab had satisfactory performance. It showed that deputy commissioners of Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahab, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Attock, Faisalabad, Chiniot and Muzaffargarh districts had been declared satisfactory and remaining 24 deputy commissioners had been served with a letter stating that as per the policy of the ‘Clean and Green Punjab' necessary steps were supposed to be taken and after removing encroachments the work of beautification was to be started respectively.

The letter also carried directions of the senior minister in which he directed that no katchi abadi (slum) should be disturbed. Only illegal constructed commercial structures would be removed during the anti-encroachment campaign. Khan underlined that the anti-encroachment drive was against the powerful mafia. No patrol pump, marriage hall or commercial activity would be tolerated on any public place and such policy should be implemented in letter and spirit in all the 36 districts of Punjab for which this letter has been sent, he said.

Meanwhile, the senior minister also took notice of trees cutting incident at the sites of construction of passenger lounges and sought a report from officers concerned. He said the policy of the present government is to plant new trees and not cut them. Khan expressed concern and ordered that in replacement of one there should be 10 trees planted. He also directed stern action against the negligence of persons concerned and underlined that no such incident would be tolerated in the future.

Last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan had launched ‘Clean and Green Pakistan' campaign across the country as part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's policy to make the country clean and green. All provincial government are following the guidelines of the federal government and conducting anti-encroachment campaigns in their respective provinces.

All district administrations in Punjab are in the process of implementing Clean and Green Punjab policy in their areas by removing solid waste, encroachments and illegal structures from commercial areas. The government has already provided Rs100,000 for each union council for cleanliness besides provision of machinery and human resource. The government has also initiated an awareness campaign besides cleanliness of urban and rural areas.

However, officials working on the programme believe without public cooperation it would be impossible to make this campaign sustainable. They highlighted that the project is aimed at providing a clean and neat atmosphere to citizens. Members of the provincial cabinet and MPAs are monitoring performance and implementation of the programme in their constituencies, he said.