Punjab governor hints at ordinance against blocking official files for more than five days

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar has hinted that an ordinance may be promulgated to hold officers accountable for delaying official files for more than five days. “I will try to convince the prime minister and chief minister for the promulgation of the ordinance as early as possible,” he said.

The governor stressed that the bureaucrats must perform their duties actively for the progress and prosperity of the country. He said that it was his life dream and objective to ensure safe drinking water for the masses, who were still being denied of this basic human need and contracting life-threatening diseases. Lamenting that the number of new coronavirus-positive cases have started surging, the governor said the government would be left with no option but to impose lockdown with strict restrictions.

He was speaking to the media and addressing a ceremony organised to distribute ration among poor rickshaw drivers in collaboration with the King Salman Relief Centre and Hayat Foundation at Governor’s House on Wednesday.

King Salman Relief Centre deputy director Muhammad Yousaf, Hayat Foundation’s Muhammad Shahzad, Governor’s political secretary Mian Kashif Iqbal, Awami Rickshaw Union president Majeed Ghauri, social worker Pir Nazim Shah and others were present on the occasion.

Speaking to media persons, the governor said the Punjab Development Network had provided ration to over 570,000 poor families since the coronavirus pandemic started showing its wrath in Punjab.

He also acknowledged the services of Akhwat Foundation, Sarwar Foundation, Sheikh Ijaz Trust and some 60 other social welfare organizations for providing ration to poor families and PPEs (personal protection equipment) to doctors in these hard times.

Replying to a question, the governor said the whole bureaucracy was not incompetent but a few black sheep that create hurdles in the smooth functioning of the official working and providing relief to the poor masses.

He said that he would soon talk to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and suggest promulgating an ordinance to push government officers not to block official files for months and months in their offices but move them within five days. “Blocking of a file in an office does not affect a person but the whole department, which is unacceptable,” the governor said. “Since I have expressed my strong reservations against some bureaucrats, different senior officers have contacted me and assured that the Aab-i-Pak Authority work will be executed at a faster pace and all issues including PC-I be completed soon,” Chaudhry Sarwar said. After the completion of official working, the governor said the Aab-i-Pak Authority would start installing filtration plants and provide safe drinking water to poor masses.