LAHORE: The bureaucracy in Punjab is trying to design some crutches for the otherwise powerless deputy commissioners being introduced upon the induction of the new equally toothless local councils, to make the office at least look like the “face of the province.”

According to insiders, the PML-N government will miss the district coordination officers (DCOs) who were initially considered much weaker than the original deputy commissioners-cum-district magistrates, but effectively enabled it control the province since 2008.

DCO is part of the district government setup introduced by Gen Pervez Musharraf in 2001, presiding over many devolved departments that make him a sort of “miniature chief secretary”. Now, the government is going to induct local governments which have nothing to do with district administration.

For control, the government is re-introducing a separate district administration headed by deputy commissioner (DC). And those designing the system say the new DC will not even be the miniature of the same office of pre-Musharraf era, or even the DCO.

The former DC had executive as well as judicial powers with which he would make anything happen on ground with the help of executive magistracy. However, a lot of executive and all judicial powers of the office were distributed among police and the judiciary at the time of abolition of DC slot and the executive magistracy in 2001.

Now, there is no plan to withdraw these powers as no-one wants to annoy either the judiciary or police. A “daring” request to amend the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to reintroduce the executive magistracy was sent to the federal government many years ago. The request was referred to the Council of Common Interests, and is pending even a discussion.

As per officials on Sunday, the DC will act as the district collector under the Revenue Act under which divisional and assistant commissioners are already functioning.

In the absence of executive magistracy or other tools to make the DC look like a real “enforcer of the writ of the government”, the officials said, the office’s face saving role being designed by the bureaucracy will be to coordinate on behalf of the provincial government. Another role of new DC will be to supervise the working of provincial departments in the districts, and to act as a bridge between the local governments and the province.

The other proposed roles include acting as the representative of the provincial Board of Revenue in case of man-made or natural disasters, supervising relief and rescue measures, coordinating between the federal, provincial and local governments (in this case) under the Calamities Act, and to head prince control magistrates, of course with the permission of the Lahore High Court, usually during Ramazan.

Officials say there are many “grey areas” to cover, which are being deliberated upon. For example, there is a proposal to make the DC custodian of government property, and to authorise him to impose Section 144 in the district to prevent something untoward from happening on behalf of the provincial home department.

There is also a proposal to appoint an additional deputy commissioner (ADC), development, to handle work of the existing EDO finance and planning. Offices of ADCs general and revenue are also under consideration.

“Bureaucracy is worried about the office of DC which once used to be its major attraction. We are trying to give the office some teeth so that its orders are not flouted or ridiculed,” the officials say.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2016