PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Tuesday approved the KP Civil Administration (Good Governance and Public Sector Delivery) Bill, 2019, promising better service delivery, law enforcement and robust grievance redressal mechanism.

Briefing reporters following the cabinet’s meeting, spokesperson for the government Ajmal Wazir said the proposed law’s enforcement would ensure better governance in the province.

The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and attended by ministers and administrative secretaries.

Mr Wazir said after approval by the provincial assembly, the proposed legislation would empower the chief minister to form committees for good governance, effective regulation, efficient service delivery, public welfare and better coordination among public agencies at the provincial, division or district levels.

Panel approved to select head, members of whistleblower protection body

He said the committees would maintain records of government land in theirrespective districts and keep an eye on the government property to prevent their misuse or usurpation by individuals or groups.

The spokesman said the district administration’s officers would be empowered to carry out their respective duties under the KP Public Property (Removal of Encroachment) Act, 1977, and would hold powers mentioned in Section 10 of the Act.

He said the commissioners would apprise the establishment department and relevant government high-ups of all divisional administrative affairs and if there was any report that despite government ban anything was being sold or distributed, the district administration was authorized to ban it forthwith ban it if the relevant individuals and parties didn’t comply, the district administrations would confiscate it forthwith.

Mr Wazir said no rally, public gathering and protest could be held in public park, stadium, roads, passage without the prior approval of the deputy commissioner, who would direct the relevant district police officer to maintain law and order and ensure protection of public property and life and that he would also be responsible for assisting the district administration.

He said the government could form a board consisting of serving or retried officers and civil society members to carry out inquiry into misappropriation of funds, violation of rules or acts against public interest by the government officials.

The spokesman said the cabinet had approved a scrutiny committee for the selection of the chairman and members of the KP Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission to be headed by the chief secretary and comprising additional chief secretary, law secretary, establishment secretary, and a member of the provincial assembly.

He said the cabinet also approved the special magistrate’s powers for an assistant commissioner and additional assistant commissioner under Section 14(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1998.

Mr Wazir said those special magistrates would have power to hear the cases regarding forest, minerals, food adulteration, encroachments on road, public parks, bridges, building control and municipality related crimes.

The cabinet also approved onetime Rs15 million grant for the Peshawar Press Club and Rs5 million for the Khyber Union of Journalists.

The cabinet also approved the appointment of Faysal Saleem Rehman as the director to the board of directors at the Rashakai Economic Zone besides the KP Government, Rest House and Tourism Properties Regulation, Monitoring Management and Development Bill, 2019, which will allow the outsourcing of government rest houses and properties to generate extra revenue. A committee headed by tourism minister Atif Khan was told to evolve a mechanism for the purpose.

The cabinet also cleared the appointment of former bureaucrat Sajid Khan Jadoon as the chief commissioner of the KP Right to Information Commission.

The KP Enforcement for Women Property Rights Act, 2019, was also approved for implementing laws on the women’s rights to property inheritance.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2019