DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah has termed the provision of clean drinking water the province’s “biggest challenge” and directed departments and district administrations to improve transparency and ensure prompt resolution of public complaints.
He issued the directives while chairing a meeting of the Secretaries Committee on Tuesday, said a handout.
Senior Member Board of Revenue, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Additional Chief Secretary (General) and all administrative secretaries attended the meeting.
The meeting was given detailed briefings on departmental performance regarding the Good Governance Roadmap, District Service Delivery and transparency initiatives.
Addressing heads of departments, the chief secretary said public complaints must be given top priority and stressed that government operations should not only be transparent but should also be perceived as such by citizens.
Regarding drinking water quality, Mr Shah directed the Local Government Department to submit concrete proposals for improving water quality beyond the role of the Public Health Engineering Department. He said addressing the clean water issue could significantly reduce the burden of diseases in the province.
The chief secretary directed departmental heads to focus not only on routine affairs but also on effective implementation of the Good Governance Roadmap, District Service Delivery programme and the provincial action plan for law and order.
He called for an effective complaint redressal mechanism at the departmental and district levels, supported by a feedback system to obtain public input. Citizens, he said, should have direct access to departments and district administrations to resolve their issues and provide suggestions on service delivery and development projects.
Mr Shah said 27 departments had been included in the Governance Roadmap framework, under which more than 4,000 activities had been assigned and their implementation was being monitored.
He also stressed the importance of better planning, advance preparation and thorough groundwork to ensure timely and effective utilisation of financial resources.
He said departmental planning should be aligned with the province’s overall strategy, contribute to development and be based on data and the needs of the people.
