PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has directed all deputy commissioners to digitally compile the data of state land in all districts through the Geographic Information System and draw geo-coordinates of that land to remove illegal occupation.

The directions were issued during a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz here.

Senior officials of the departments concerned attended the meeting, which was Mr Kazim’s first extensive one with the officialdom for reinvigorating the reform agenda and helping speed up service delivery with timeframe.

DCs told to clear state land of illegal occupation

A senior government official said the Performance Management and Reforms Unit had started compiling data of the actions being taken in light of the fresh directives to evaluate the performance of officers at the district and divisional level.

The official documents shared with Dawn revealed that all DCs had been asked to carry out an extensive exercise with the help of GIS specialists of the planning and development department to identify state land across the province.

The DCs will complete the task within 45 days, while the Performance Management and Reforms Unit will extend necessary technological support to them for it.

DCs were also told to draw geo-coordinates of state land and its vacation from illegal occupation.

The meeting issued directives to different service delivery departments.

The secretaries of forests and minerals departments and relevant DCs were asked to launch special campaign against ‘timber mafia’ and illegal mining with the support of line departments, while authorities were asked to immediately restart drive against encroachments on state lands, right of way, public roads and pathways across the province.

The meeting also issued directives for the registration of criminal cases against people involved in illegal harvesting for forests and mining. The commissioners will supervise the campaign and would submit reports within two months.

The meeting discussed mechanism for controlling prices of essential commodities in the market. All DCs will carry out regulatory inspection of bazaars, godowns for controlling prices, adulteration and hoarding of wheat, flour and other essential commodities. District administrations would take prompt action against hoarders.

Divisional commissioners were directed to establish one shelter at the divisional level within available resources for homeless persons in two months. Every DC would conceive one innovative idea to improve service delivery and governance in one particular area. They would share their ideas with PMRU within 15 for implementation.

The meeting approved the ‘open door policy’ with the DCs ensuring accessibility to public and adoption of the compulsory minimum three hours open door policy on a daily basis to address the people’s grievances. The DCs were directed to follow SOPs for Khuli Kachehri. The officials would ensure interaction with public in Khuli Kachehri at least twice a month and give priority to remote areas.

The development of low cast tourism was also discussed in the meeting and every district will identify potential sites of local tourism, including trekking, hiking, waterfall, picnic spots and adventurous sports.

Every district will develop own intelligence network for obtaining firsthand information of events and general law and order situation for timely and effective strategy and establishing writ of the state. The DCs in consultation with relief department will develop and update contingency plan for every district within one month.

The transport and communication and works departments will improve cleanliness and renovation at transport stands, parks, public washrooms, butcher shops and other public places. The Green and Clean Campaign in all government departments will be carried out.

Every district will identify one face-lifting scheme at the district level having maximum cost of Rs10 million.

The DCs were tasked to carry out inspection of basic health units, schools and other educational institutions.

The meeting decided that the revenue case management system would be introduced in all districts in which settlement has been carried out, while the authorities would ensure 100 per cent completion of pending ‘jamma bandis’ by holding meeting with the revenue staff.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2019