Major reshuffle: LDA transfers 260 officials

LAHORE: In a bid to enhance service delivery and discourage corruption, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) transferred another 260 officials from grade 11 to grade 16 on Thursday. Earlier, in a mass transfer spree, the authority transferred 123 officers of grade 17 and above on Wednesday.

On directives of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, LDA Director General Sumair Ahmad Syed issued transfer and posting notifications of 260 officials who have served on the same position for two years and more.

The authority highlighted that mass scale transfers are being made as per the vision of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to ensure transparency in administrative affairs and day to day functioning of the city developer. The move is aimed to ensure better service delivery and quick relief to the masses, LDA DG underscored.

Information released by the authority indicates that the LDA transferred 38 assistants, 61 senior clerks, 41 junior clerks, 25 sub-engineers, 18 clerks, nine account assistants, 15 senior scale stenographers, 30 data entry operators and other lower cadre officials.

According to notification, the authority transferred assistants, including Muhammad Ishaq, Nosheen Asghar, Muhammad Rafiq, Syed Nazar Hussain, Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Salahuddin Azmi, Muhammad Yousaf Butt, Muhammad Ramazan, Faisal Hafeez Butt, Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Taqi, Ali Hussain, Humayyun Rafiq, Ehsan Saleem, Husnain Rafiq, Raza Ullah Tariq, Muhammad Saeed Khan, Abdul Rasheed, Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Anwar, Awais Butt, Muhammad Yousaf, Shahbaz Ahmad, Shaukat Ali, Muhammad Shahid, Asad Ullah Taj, Muhammad Azeem Khan, Muhammad Nasir, Muhammad Iqbal, Waqas Ahmad, Javed Akhtar, Muhammad Saleem Sher, Muhammad Ashfaq, Suhail Ahmad Khan, Nadeem Qaiser Butt, Muhammad Tariq and Khawaja Zulqarnain.

Besides the reshuffling of staff, the authority has recently taken several initiatives to improve service delivery. It has already established facilitation counters of various government agencies, like National Database and Registration Authority, Revenue Department, Excise and Taxation Department, WASA, town administration, etc, for speedy verification of documents for quick disposal of the property transaction.

LDA DG, on the other day in a briefing at Board of Investment, highlighted that as per guidelines of the World Bank’s ease of doing business, the authority is introducing an online system for building plans and construction approvals in its jurisdiction.

As per the World Bank target, the authority is also simplifying approval procedure for quick disposal of applications.

He pointed out that the authority has already decided to outsource inspections to the private sector for issuance of completion certificate to residential and commercial buildings to minimise interaction between general public and city developer for transparency.

The World Bank has already tested the same model in tax administration over past decades and result of less interaction between tax collectors and the taxpayer has helped the government to increase tax revenue manifold.

Syed highlights that the authority has also planned to automate fee challan issuance for making payments for building plan and completion certificates. Construction of a separate building for one window cell is also on cards, considering huge public rush at one window cell in the LDA office, Johar Town. The authority has aimed to provide all services under one roof for speedy disposal of the public application.

The authority has also revised LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019 as per guidelines of the ease of doing a business program of the World Bank. It has decided to outsource inspections of all residential and up to 50 feet tall commercial and industrial buildings to the private sector. Registered architects and town planners will perform this function and submit all required documents to the authority for issuance of completion certificates. After scrutiny of the submitted documents, the authority will issue certificates as per law.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2020.