LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) is likely to replace its senior officials, holding top slots, with the officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and it is working these days to write to the Punjab government in this regard.

Besides, the LDA management, headed by the new director general, is also working for an internal transfer/posting in all major directorates, keeping in view the seniority and efficiency of the officers (assistant and deputy directors and directors), Dawn has learnt.

“The new LDA DG is not satisfied with the senior officials holding especially the posts of ADGs (housing, urban development and headquarters) and director (admin). He is of the view that the PAS officers may perform better and help the LDA improve its service delivery. He wants his own team to hold top posts of additional director generals (ADGs) for housing, urban development and headquarters and the director (admin),” claims an official source.

At present, except housing, the offices of urban development and headquarters are being run by the senior officials (BPS-19) of the LDA service. The housing wing is being run by a BPS-19 deputationist from the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) while the office of the director admin is also being run by the officer of LDA service. Prior to this arrangement, various important positions in LDA — ADGs (headquarters and housing), directors (admin, law, avenue-1 scheme etc) were also filled by requisitioning services of the officers from the provincial management service, the housing department— the parent body of all development authorities—took serious notice of the alleged mismanagement.

“Finally, the department directly intervened into the LDA affairs by reverting five PMS officers of BPS-17 holding important positions as directors to the deputy directors in BPS-18. Some of them either opted to have posting outside the LDA or voluntarily sought repatriating their services to the S&GAD. At last, the government transferred the DG,” the official explained.

He said the new DG wanted reliable officers of the PAS (formerly district management group) as ADGs and director (admin),” he said.

Besides, he added, there was a reshuffle plan on positions in various directorates, including town planning, metropolitan planning, commercial, directorates of estate management, administration etc for public and private housing schemes. The new LDA chief is interviewing officers of the LDA service these days. A seniority list of deputy directors has also been prepared that is being reviewed by the DG to post officers as directors in those directorates facing shortage of BPS-19 officers.

“The seniority lists are being reviewed for internal transfer/posting to improve LDA’s service delivery, which is on top priority of the government,” the official claimed.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2019