LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Friday the government is committed to giving the best and efficient administration to South Punjab while the ministerial committee will submit its recommendations about expanding the number of already existing 16 departments to all the provincial departments in South Punjab. This committee will also recommend making the South Punjab Secretariat more efficient and active while laying the foundation stone of the South Punjab Secretariat is being contemplated as well, the CM said while addressing the presser at his office about the South Punjab Secretariat.
The CM disclosed that the notifications of March 29 and 30 about the South Punjab Secretariat have been cancelled adding that the possibility of human error and clerical mistake cannot be ignored. In the light of the investigation of the ministerial committee, the concerned secretary has been made OSD. The establishment of the South Punjab Secretariat is part of the PTI agenda and the party has contested elections under this agenda to ameliorate the lot of the common man living in remote areas. A 17-percent budget was appropriated for South Punjab in the past but the PTI government has ring-fenced the whopping 33-per cent budget for south Punjab, he said.
The CM disclosed that the bill about reserving jobs-quota for South Punjab will be presented before the cabinet and he has decided to spend a full day in Multan and another in Bahawalpur every month. Similarly, all the ministers will also go to Multan and Bahawalpur every month for two days to deal with matters about the people, he said.
The provincial cabinet meeting was held in Bahawalpur for the first time and the cabinet meeting will also be held in Multan soon and this will continue, he added. The South Punjab Secretariat will be made fully functional and no hurdles will be allowed to arise in this regard, the CM emphasized.
Replying to questions, the CM said he belongs to the backward area of South Punjab and now the whole province was being led to move forward. Additional Chief Secretary (South Punjab), Additional IG and officers of 16 departments were posted and legal action was taken and notifications were withdrawn upon confusion and ambiguity about south Punjab, he maintained. I want to make it crystal clear that the South Punjab Secretariat will not be rolled back. It will, rather, be moved forward and further progress will be made in consultation with the ministerial committee, he announced.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021