LAHORE - In a landmark decision in the administrative history of Punjab, the provincial government on Monday ordered the much-awaited postings of10 administrative secretaries in the South Punjab Secretariat that will function as an independent administrative set up free of any control by the provincial secretariat in Lahore.
The government has already posted an Additional Chief Secretary and an Additional Inspector General of Police to head the civil and police set up in the Southern Punjab. The South Punjab Secretariat will be housed in Bahawalpur while the police hierarchy will have offices in Multan.
To begin with, 15 administrative departments along with their respective secretaries will have their offices in the new secretariat. They include the departments of Finance, Home, Law, S&GAD, Board of Revenue, Irrigation, Communication and Works (C&W), Local Government & Community Development (LG&CD), Health, Education, HUD&PHE, Agriculture, P&D, Livestock & Dairy Development Department and Wildlife & Fisheries.
Also, the Finance Department has created 77 new posts in different grades to run the new administrative set up.
As per the break up, they include one post in BS-21, 21 posts in BS-20, 21 posts in BS-19 and 34 posts in BS-18.
Officers performing duties in the Southern Punjab secretariat will get an additional allowance equivalent to their one basic salary.
The establishment of a new administrative set up in South Punjab is being interpreted as the first big step towards the creation of a separate province which the PTI had promised the people in its election manifesto.
Meanwhile, the government has ordered postings and transfers of the following officers to assume duties in South Punjab.
According to a notification, Muhammad Ajmal Bhatti (PAS/BS-19), Special Secretary, Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Health Department, South Punjab Secretariat against a newly created post.
Rana Obaid Ullah Anwar (PAAS/BS-19), Additional Secretary (Budget), Finance Department, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Finance Department, South Punjab Secretariat against a newly created post till 31.12.2020 i.e. the date when his extended period of deputation shall expire.
Shoaib Iqbal Syed (PMS (ex-PCS)/BS-19), Program Director, Punjab Resource Management Program (PRMP) has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Planning & Development Department, South Punjab Secretariat against a newly created post.
Raja Khurrum Shahzad Umar (PAS/BS-19), Director General, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Punjab has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Local Government & Community Development Department, South Punjab Secretariat against a newly created post.
Liaqat Ali Chatha (PMS (ex-PCS)/BS-19), Officer on Special Duty, Services & General Administration Department has been posted as Secretary, Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Engineering Department, South Punjab Secretariat against a newly created post. Saqib Ali Ateel (PMS (ex-PCS)/BS-20), Commissioner, Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), Multan has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Agriculture Department, South Punjab Secretariat, against a newly created post.
Aftab Ahmad Pirzada (PMS (ex-PCS)/BS-19), Additional Commissioner (Coordination), Bahawalpur has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Livestock Dairy Development Department, South Punjab Secretariat against a newly created post.
Ms Nosheen Malik (PAS/BS-19), Director (Development & Finance), Bahawalpur has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Services & General Administration Department, South Punjab Secretariat against a newly created post.
Momin Agha (PAS/BS-21). Additional Chief Secretary (Home) has been entrusted the additional charge of the post of Secretary, Home Department, South Punjab Secretariat, in addition to his own duties and till the posting of a regular incumbent.
Nazir Ahmad Gajana Secretary Law & Parliamentary Affairs Department has been entrusted the additional charge of the post of Secretary, Law Department, South Punjab Secretariat, in addition to his own duties and till the posting of a regular incumbent.
The departments of Irrigation, Education, C&W, Wildlife and Fisheries and Board of Revenue will get their administrative secretaries in the second phase of postings against the vacant posts. The posts of additional secretaries and deputy secretaries lying vacant in the 15 departments are also expected to be filled in a couple of weeks.
