LAHORE – Punjab has taken administrative steps to tighten control over its province-wide waste management system, with Deputy Commissioners (DCs) appointed as chairpersons of their respective Suthra Punjab agencies.
Under the Suthra Punjab Authority Act 2026, Deputy Commissioners across all districts have been designated to lead their respective district-level agencies, giving them a central role in overseeing cleanliness and waste management operations.
According to the notification, the DCs will chair meetings of the Suthra Punjab agencies and supervise legal, administrative and operational affairs related to their respective jurisdictions. The move places district administration at the heart of the province’s waste management structure as the government seeks to strengthen coordination and oversight of the Suthra Punjab programme.
The appointments will remain effective until permanent chairpersons are appointed or until further orders.
The legal framework of the Suthra Punjab Authority provides for district-level Suthra Punjab agencies to deliver waste-management services. Under the Act, the agency structure includes a chairperson nominated by the Chief Minister, the district Deputy Commissioner as a member, representatives of the Local Government and Community Development Department, concerned Assistant Commissioners and local-government chief officers.
Suthra Punjab programme currently covers all 36 districts of Punjab, with the authority describing it as a province-wide integrated waste-management system aimed at door-to-door collection, digital monitoring, recycling and modern waste disposal.
The latest administrative development comes as Suthra Punjab is also moving toward a broader, technology-driven system for sanitation services. Separately, the Punjab government has approved a uniform sanitation-fee collection model for urban areas, with the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department set to begin collection from the 2026-27 financial year under an agreement with the Suthra Punjab Authority.
With Deputy Commissioners now being placed in charge of the district agencies, the latest decision effectively gives the district administration a direct leadership role in the implementation and oversight of Suthra Punjab operations across the province.
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