South Punjab to have separate quota in govt jobs: minister

LAHORE:Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht said that separate quota will be allotted for the people of South Punjab in government jobs.

The quota will be determined on the basis of the proportion of population in the province. Necessary amendments are being made in the laws relating to government jobs for allocating quotas.

The Minister said this while presiding over the third meeting of the Ministerial Committee constituted by the Chief Minister to determine the powers and improve the performance of South Punjab Civil Secretariat here on Tuesday.

Other participants in the meeting included Law Minister Raja Basharat, Agriculture Minister Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, Energy Minister Akhtar Malik, Transport Minister Jahanzeb Khan Khichi, Livestock Minister Mohsin Leghari, Sardar Hasnain Dreshak and secretaries of relevant departments. The provincial minister informed the meeting that approval for separate quotas in government jobs would also be sought from the provincial cabinet.

He said that a separate development programme for South Punjab will be formulated in the budget for the next financial year. The Punjab government will ensure separate publication of the Annual Development Programme of South Punjab. The minister directed the Law and Finance Department and Planning and Development Board to make amendments in the law relating to separate quotas for South Punjab and preparation of separate Annual Development Programme for South Punjab.

The provincial minister said that the Punjab government was introducing South Punjab as a separate administrative zone for uniform development in the province. For the first time in history, the colour fencing of the budget reserved for South Punjab has been ensured with the support of the cabinet. The establishment of a separate secretariat is continuation of it.

The minister informed the meeting that all the departments related to education, health and agriculture were being represented in the South Punjab Secretariat. The Punjab government will provide full technical assistance to all the relocated departments in South Punjab to improve the stability and efficiency of the empowered Secretariat. He said that establishment of full secretariat in South Punjab was a process to be completed in phases as several factors are at work in it. Until the completion of the Secretariat, changes in the administrative structure are routine.

At the initial stage, the central departments will provide services from the Lahore Secretariat, he added. The committee will decide which of the central departments will be transferred to the South Punjab Secretariat at which stage.