LAHORE - Even as the Punjab government has restored the office of deputy commissioners through a special legislation, the officials are still cluless about the exact structure of the new system and how long would it take them to make it operational at the district level.
Sources say that it has been left to the DCs to map out an organogram for their respective districts, in order to shoulder the responsibility.
According to information gathered by The Nation, the Multan DC has prepared a blue print for his district.
However, there is confusion in district set-up after promulgation of Civil Administration Ordinance 2016 in the province. The officers are not clear about the role and responsibilities entrusted to them under the aegis of new ordinance. General public is also unaware about new offices and their mandates.
The Punjab government has repealed PLGO 2001 and replaced it with LGA 2013 whereby municipalities have been established. All the municipal and developmental functions earlier being looked after by the DCOs have been transferred to the mayors and chairmen of the district councils. Side by side the Local Government Act, commissionarates under PCAO 2016 have also been restored.
But new dispensation of the district administration under Deputy Commissioner is too weak to come up to the expectation of people. “People think it is an old Deputy Commissioner system wherein the DC is a District Magistrate as it used to be in days of yore. They are approaching it for action against adulteration, gambling, liquor, illegal weapons, and quacks. They are also lodging complaints against the police.” the officials say.
“People are approaching the DC office for redressal of their all issues as they used to do before the devolution of General Pervaiz Musharraf.”
As there was no forum for last 15 years at the district level to entertain complaints against the police, so the masses think with the restoration of the DC office, they can come and are heard. However, the DC has no authority and no respite for complainants, according to an Additional Deputy Commissioner.
Moreover, the officials at district level are themselves confused over the implementation of the new law. Though the ordinance gives a line to establish new offices under the DC but it is silent over many functions, said the ADC.
A deputy commissioner, on the condition anonymity, said: “It would take weeks to establish new offices, make transfers and postings of staff and assign them new responsibilities. People will have to visit more and more offices both at district as well as divisional and capital level to understand their functions,” he told The Nation.
“Before devolution, the DC was a District Magistrate with judicial powers. He was justice of peace (JoP) with an authority to direct police to register FIRs and was responsible for the law and order at district level,” said the DC. After devolution, the DCO was neither a District Magistrate nor a JoP, he was only a coordinating officer at district level, between district government and the provincial government, he added.
But now, nothing is clear about the powers of DCs.
When contacted, different DCs viewed that they are yet trying to understand features of new administrative set up at district.
Multan district, taking the lead, devised a new system of administration under the newly promulgated ordinance while confusion prevails in other districts.
Deputy Commissioner Nadir Chattha, chairing the meeting of officers, explained the features of new set up. He averred that district administration has, in all circumstances, excelled in public service delivery. Under his guidance, the Multan district administration has introduced Multan model wherein existing functions have been reordered for the easy access of the public.
Moroever, new branches have been carved out in line with functions entrusted to DC office under PCAO. They include public order branch (POB), Taxation branch (TB), ARC branch, Registration branch (RB), Education and Health branch (E&H), Disaster Management cell (DMC), Service branch (SR), Facilitation cell, Enforcement/regulation branch, Monitoring and inspection branch.
As per the official documents, the POB will be responsible for correspondence with police and judiciary, maintenance of public order, prison inspection, imposition of 144 in district, security of foreigners, security of vulnerable establishments, arrangement of religious events, public gatherings, permissions/NOCs etc.
The Taxation Branch will perform functions like collection of agriculture income tax, settlement of audit paras, issues relating to the Punjab Revenue Authority, auctions/attachments and recovery of land arrears etc.
The M&I branch will ensure inspection of the DC and ADCS branches, inspection of field offices; offices of the ACs, tehsildars, qanongos and patwaris. It will check attendance and discipline matters of staff, performance evaluation of departments, inspection of record rooms and inspection of security of premises.
The Arazi Record Branch (ARB) will be responsible for posting/transfer of staff, report to and from ARCs, performance of ARCS, computerization of record, correspondence with Land Record Computerization Management System.
The Registration Branch will tackle issues like E-stamp, refund cases, stamp vending licenses, power of attorney, sub registrar office /appeals, inspection of SR offices, reconciliation of registered deeds with ARCS, verification and record keeping.
The Education and Health Branch will have data and deal with the issue relating to the schools (both public and private), colleges, universities, issues relating to education department, issues of primary , secondary and territory health facilities (private and public), maintenance of record and liaisoning with the authorities.
The Disaster Management branch will function in case of flood, fire, urban flooding, earth quake, any other calamity/emergency, civil defense related issues, rescue 1122, correspondence with PDMA.
The Service Branch will deal with domiciles, arms licenses, NOCs/permissions, verifications, WASA, waste management, roads, buildings, WAPDA or Sui gas, telephone issues.
The Facilitation Cell will entertain complaints; Citizen Feed Back Model related issues, overseas Pakistanis issues, financial assistance matters, ombudsman and CM/PM complaints and directives.
The Enforcement and Regulation Branch will ensure and implement laws relating to the anti-encroachment drives, price control, drug control, anti-quackery, food adulteration, anti- beggary, canting /decanting, traffic control, illegal sale of petroleum products and acids, land and building control, child labor, crime against women, local and special laws.
Officials say the Multan model is an attempt towards assuming new role entrusted to Deputy Commissioner Office. This model will not only bring clarity among the officers about their role but also facilitate the public at large.