Rawalpindi:
The Punjab House, the Urban Development and the Public Health Engineering Department have decided to establish three new key institutions – water and sanitation agency (WASA), Parker and Horticulture Authority (PHA) and Development Authorities – in 36 existing districts to improve public services, development work and beautification efforts.
Punjab currently includes 41 districts. However, the five newly created districts, including Murree, Talagang, Kot Addu and Nankana Sajib, have been excluded from this initiative. Currently, the development authorities work in five districts: Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Lahore.
WASA agencies are already operating in 15 cities. Originally, they were created in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan. In the second phase scheduled for June, approval has been given to expand WASA operations to 10 more cities: Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Sialkot, Hafizabad, Jhelum, Rahim Yar Khan, Jhang and Okara. The implementation work has already begun and full operations are expected to begin with the new financial year on July 1st.
Similarly, PHAs are currently active in five cities. In the first quarter of the financial year 2025-26-from July 1 to September 30-will be fas, WASAs and development authorities be established and made operational in all 36 older districts. Budget distributions for this extension have been made.
As for the five new districts that were omitted, the creation of these three institutions is planned for the third phase. These new districts are not yet fully autonomous, as departments and district levels, including district leaders, have not been completed.
As a result, these areas remain in a transitional administrative state – neither fully integrated nor independent. For example, no district and sessions have been appointed, and both the police and the district administrations are not yet fully autonomous.
Chairman and Vice-Presidents of these new institutions will be appointed among political workers and elected members of the Punjab assembly. Future development, beautification projects and sanitation schemes will be initiated through these agencies and authorities.
The Secretary of Housing, Urban Development and the Department of Public Health Technology has issued a gazette review – after approval from the governor of Punjab – for the creation of WASA in the 10 additional cities.
District Development Committee Convener, MNA Engineer Qamar-Ul-Islam, says new fiscal year is dedicated to development and public service. Phas, Wasas and development authorities are established in any major city of Punjab in a phase way, he adds.
