The Punjab government has sought departments’ decade-long performance, The Nation has learnt.

All the departments have been directed to submit their performance reports to the Implementation and Coordination (I&C) Department within three days. It is further stressed that the Chief Secretary Punjab Capt ® Zahid Saeed will chair the meeting on the same day on the Departmental Performance Reports (DPRs).

A letter circulated to all the departments stated that “Government of Punjab is endeavoring to improve the quality of life of its people through conducive legislation, institutional restructuring, improved governance, better service delivery, and infrastructure.” Moreover, all the administrative departments are mandated to perform their assigned functions to develop a synergetic impact on the lives of people of the province, the circulate adds.

The document further stated that “Periodic review of departmental performance helps to take corrective measures where needed and replicate the success stories.”

It was decided in a meeting chaired by the Planning & Development Chairman Jehanzeb Khan. All the department secretaries and the senior member Board of Revenue (BOR) Aslam Kambo have been directed to take stock of their working of the last 10 years with reference to the above parameters.

They were directed to prepare crispy presentations covering important and salient departmental performance highlights during the last ten years within three years.

When this newspaper contacted an administrative secretary, who on anonymity told all the functions of the departments have been either assigned to the authorities or companies so the need was to seek their performance reports.

Talking another side of the story, he said that over 60 companies have been facing severe embezzlement charges besides authorities equally involved in misappropriation of funds. He though lauded computerisation of land records, the online system adopted in the health, education and some other departments like Punjab Safe Cities Authority etc. Moreover, Rescue 1122 and rapid transit system are good enough projects. Legislation on water thieves on irrigation channels, women empowerment and establishment of new universities in the remote areas like Jhang, Sahiwal, Bhakkar are landmark decisions.

The BOR was made dormant and replaced by Punjab Land Records Authority, Public Health Engineering Department and WASA job was assigned to Punjab Saaf Pani Company, Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) and other authorities replaced Education Department. Likewise, Solid Waste Management Companies took over the job of municipal corporations.

He questioned when officers facing corruption charges had been posted as departments’ heads, CEOs of the companies or authorities, what would be their outcome and service delivery. Those officers involved in solar park project, Ashiana Housing scheme, Nandipur power, Saaf Pani, Metro Multan and Sasti Roti projects and many more had been assigned very important slots as the department bosses.

Citing a recent Deputy Commissioners’ conference which was chaired by the Chief Secretary Punjab, he said, the DCs sought powers to ensure service delivery at the district level. The issue of the establishment of the Mini Secretariat Multan never remained a priority of the government, he said. The thana and patwari culture still exist as thousands of the citizens approached the Justices of Peace to direct the police register the FIRs.

Punjab government spokesperson Malik Ahmad Khan was not available for comments.