Punjab’s khadim government has announced that it will abolish 550 civil and police posts, which include 344 from the BS 17-21. According to their analysis, such an effort would annually save Rs. 6.1 billion! Though the effects of such an effort remain to be seen, the point is that what will happen to these 550 people? Majority of them come for the Provincial Civil Services cadre, who usually come in through competitive exams. They will be attached to the surplus pool and then absorbed by other departments? That doesn’t make sense. It would mean that there will be more people in existing departments while centralization would increase.

Another point is that it seems that the PCS cadre is being shown the axe board. What about all those lateral entrants, many special committees and people that have been appointed by Shahbaz Sharif in various places? Remember, Pervez Musharraf antagonized the DMG group by abolishing the commissionerate system. Is this the same thing which Khadim-e-Aala is trying to do?

This will also lead to selectivity taking place as to which officer remains and which officer is literally made an OSD. This maybe a good decision for Shahbaz Sharif but it will for sure not pay dividends. Or maybe it is another of the Sasti Roti, Sasta Bazar gimmick? Time will tell.

Punjab scraps 550 posts to save Rs6 bn per year

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to abolish 550 civil and police posts, which include 344 from the BS 17-21 and the remaining being their attached staff. This was announced by Senior Adviser to Punjab CM Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa while addressing a press conference here on Sunday.

He said seven posts of special secretaries and 248 posts of executive district officers (EDOs), deputy district officers (DDOs), three Additional IGPs, nine DIGs, eight SSPs and 69 DSPs would be abolished, stating that the step will help save Rs6.10 billion annually, which will be spent on social development and welfare of masses. The subordinate posts of these BS 17 to 21officers would also be scrapped.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah Khan, Secretary Finance Tariq Bajwa and Secretary Regulations Muhammad Ilyas were also present on the occasion. Zulfiqar Khosa said Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif had promoted austerity in the administrative affairs under which the purchase of new vehicles for ministers was stopped. He said one-dish was promoted at marriage parties and other functions and a ban was imposed on holding of functions after 10pm to save electricity.

In the light of recommendations of a committee, 234 posts of EDOs and DDOs were being abolished. Similarly, reorganisation of the CM Inspection Team will be done and it has been decided to abolish two out of the eight posts of members. In the light of the proposal of P&D Department, one post of Member (BS-20) and one post of Joint Chief Economist (BS-20) in the P&D Department will be abolished.

The post of divisional commissioners at city districts will remain intact in BS-21, while four posts of divisional commissioners at Sargodha, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and DG Khan will be downgraded to BS-20. It was also agreed that all posts of DCOs will be placed in the BS-20 without any exception and no post of DCO will be in grade-21. Seven posts of special secretaries are going to be abolished by the Punjab government except for finance, home, health and LG&CD (Local Government and Community Development) departments.

Some 20 employees of surplus pool of S&GAD (Service and General Administration Department) will be adjusted in their departments. At least 50pc of 58 officers of non-APUG working in the Punjab on deputation basis will be repatriated to their parent departments in the federal government, which would make room for the accommodation of cadres controlled by the Punjab government.

It has also been decided to merge three departments namely Social Welfare, Women Development and Baitul Maal, Zakat and Ushr and Child Protection Bureau of the Home Department to emerge as Social Protection & Zakat Department. The Punjab government has decided that revenue administration will be excluded from the local government system and necessary amendments will be made in the PLGO, accordingly.

In the light of the IGPs’ recommendations, it was also decided to abolish three posts of Addl IGP in grade-21, nine posts of DIG in grade 20, one post of SSP (survey) in Special Branch in grade 19, seven posts of SPs in grade-19 (they are also actually SSPs) and 69 posts of DSP in grade-17.

In reply to questions of the media, Senator Pervaiz Rashid said that these officers will be sent to the surplus pool and adjusted in various departments gradually. According to a TV channel, the Punjab government has decided to curtail the development budget by 10 per cent. The president of the PCS Officers’ Association, Rai Hasnain, has said the abolition of posts has been carried out to target the PCS officers.

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