Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan on Wednesday said that the newly-created post of Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) in all the 23 districts will further improve efficiency in the functioning of urban local bodies and strengthen coordination with the District Administration to ensure holistic urban development in the State.
Mahajan, chairing a maiden introductory meeting with the Additional Deputy Commissioners (Urban Development) in the presence of the Deputy Commissioners, said that these 23 posts have been created, one each at all district headquarters, in place of the Regional Deputy Directors Local Government (DDLGs) which have been scrapped. The ADCs (UD) will also be the ex-officio additional CEOs of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB). Welcoming the newly-appointed officers, Mahajan directed the Deputy Commissioners to provide adequate office space and requisite staff, mainly consisting of MIS and IT experts, SWM, wastewater specialists, and assistant programme officer (Housing) and (NULM), to all the newly appointed ADCs in their respective districts.
The Chief Secretary asked all the new ADCs to closely monitor the execution of the urban slum rehabilitation projects under Basera, PUEIP-I, II, and III, AMRUT, Swachh Bharat Mission, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), PMSAVnidhi, and other urban development schemes to ensure their timely completion, quality control, and proper fund utilisation.
Detailing various powers delegated to the ADCs (UD) under the Punjab Municipal Act, the Principal Secretary Local Government Ajoy Kumar Sinha apprised the Chief Secretary that all resolutions of Class-II and III municipal councils shall be dealt and approved by them whereas for Class-I municipal councils and all improvement trusts in the district, the resolutions shall be routed through them to the Director Local Government for approval.
They shall head the project monitoring and reviewing committee to monitor the ongoing works, besides coordinating with the government and other departments to provide land for setting up MPS, STP, WTP, OHSR, and tube-wells. These officers shall also be responsible to resolve and coordinate grievances and demands of public and local elected representatives, he informed.
Noting that the current Covid situation was satisfactory with the state’s daily positivity rate touching a new low of 0.3 per cent, the Chief Secretary asked the new ADCs to constantly supervise the health facilities available in the urban areas to ensure better services and check any surge in the Covid cases in future.
