DC Lahore removed amid reports of misgovernance

LAHORE: Deputy Commissioner Lahore Saleha Saeed was removed from her post on Saturday amid reports that she had been transferred due to her inability to control the dengue epidemic in the provincial capital among other reasons.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Lahore Asghar Joiya has been given the additional charge of deputy commissioner till further orders.

The notification issued by Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) stated, “Miss Saleha Saeed (PAS/BS-19), Deputy Commissioner, Lahore is hereby transferred, with immediate effect and directed to report to Services and General Administration Department, Government of Punjab, for further orders.”

The same notification mentions, “Mr. Muhammad Asghar (PAS/BS-18), Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Lahore is hereby entrusted with the additional charge of the post of Deputy Commissioner, Lahore, in addition to his own duties and till further orders.”

According to sources, one of the main reasons for Saleha’s transfer was her failure to control the dengue outbreak in Lahore.

“Saleha Saeed failed to take concrete steps to bring the dengue situation under control which led to people comparing her efforts with those of the previous administration, which had largely succeeded in tackling the dengue crisis,” sources said.

Sources added that more than 70 dengue cases have been registered in Lahore, while most cases still remain under reported.

In addition, Saleha Saeed also failed to do much about land encroachments which is a major issue in Lahore, sources added.

Waste management is another issue where Saeed failed to do her job. Sources said that despite her several meetings and coordination with the waste management company, she could not get a cleanliness plan implemented in the city and many parts of Lahore was overlooked in the process.

Sources revealed that so far Saleha Saeed has not been deputed on any other post and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is looking into the matter.

“She could not complete or accomplish any major task in Lahore and her services might be handed over to the federal government,” sources claimed.

Saeed’s replacement, Asghar Joiya, on the other hand, boasts of a strong track record, sources said.

“During his tenure in the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Lahore region, Joiya had been assigned with several important cases and succeeded in delivering. People have high expectations from him,” sources added.

Speaking on the issue, former DC Saleha Saeed said, “It is the prerogative of the government to change DC or any other officer. There is no dengue issue behind this change because reports on dengue in Lahore are satisfactory and we had been giving reports on a daily basis to the government. We were also conducting raids and campaigns for dengue control. I have served Lahore to the best of my abilities.”