LAHORE: In a move aimed at ensuring merit and transparency, the provincial government has constituted a search committee to oversee key appointments in development authorities, parks and horticulture authorities (PHAs), water and sanitation agencies (Wasas) and other civic agencies and their parent entity — Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering (HUD&PHE) Department.

The formation of this committee seems to be a major administrative reform, aligned with the government’s efforts to ensure institutional integrity and performance-driven governance.

The search committee will be headed by Punjab Housing Minister Bilal Yasin and comprises senior officials, including the special secretary, additional secretaries (technical and administration & human resources), deputy secretary (administration), and heads of relevant authorities.

These members have been tasked with identifying suitable candidates for key posts, including director generals (DGs), managing directors (MDs) and chief engineers.

The committee, according to an official notification, will function as a permanent mechanism to review the credentials and past performance of the available officers. It will assess merit, seniority, and cadre alignment to recommend appointments on professional grounds. Furthermore, the committee is mandated to conduct biannual performance evaluations of the officers holding key positions, ensuring their accountability and transparency in leadership roles.

Formal directives have been issued to all development authorities, Wasas, PHAs and other relevant bodies, seeking their full cooperation with the committee and provision of necessary record.

The housing department has underlined that these efforts are not limited to appointments alone but are part of a broader push for institutional reforms.

According to the department’s Secretary, retired Capt Noorul Amin Mengal, merit-based appointments are the cornerstone of effective public service delivery. “This committee is not just a procedural formality; it is a structural step to realise the chief minister’s vision of a transparent and accountable government,” he said. Alongside fair appointments, internal accountability mechanisms would also be enhanced to uphold discipline and performance standards within the department, he added.

In a parallel effort to institutionalise accountability, the government has, for the first time, also established an Internal Accountability Board within the department. This board will serve as a watchdog to check corruption, tasked with investigating complaints and recommending disciplinary action under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act.

The board will also propose reforms and policy-level interventions to improve integrity and service delivery within the department and its subsidiary agencies.

The board will be convened by the special secretary of HUD&PHE, with the section officer (discipline) serving as its secretary.

Since the housing department oversees development works worth billions of rupees, a robust internal accountability system is essential to ensure transparency and public trust in these projects.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2025