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QUETTA, Apr 7 (APP):Balochistan Chief Minister, Mir Sarfraz Bugti emphasized that the culture of “parachute schemes” in public sector development program should be stop and included the public interest projects in the next provincial budget.
He shared these views during a meeting on the progress of the Public Sector Development Program and governance improvements in the province.
The meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister, was attended by Provincial Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Hafiz Abdul Basit, Additional Chief Secretary for Home Zahid Saleem, Principal Secretary to CM, Baber Khan, and secretaries of all departments.
During the meeting, the progress, completion, and reforms in service delivery systems of development projects were reviewed in detailed.
Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan briefed the meeting on governance improvements, revealing that out of 3,400 closed schools in the province, 1,400 have been reopened.
He also mentioned that following the recruitment of teachers under the School Education Department, an additional 1,800 schools would be operational by the end of this month and the remaining 200 schools are expected to be reopened in the third phase.
Secretary of Education, Saleh Muhammad Nasar, added that appointment orders for teachers selected on merit would be issued by April 18.
Expressing concern over absenteeism in government departments, the Chief Minister directed strict action against habitual absentee employees and remarked that such behavior is unacceptable, especially in rural areas where people suffer due to officials’ absence from duties, leaving the public facing difficulties.
He called this situation unacceptable and directed local government representatives to monitor the attendance of teachers, doctors, and employees in line departments. Bugti instructed them to compile reports on absenteeism and governance issues, with recommendations for improvement.
In his briefing, Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development, Hafiz Abdul Basit, said that following the directives issued in previous review meetings, the pace of expenditures and progress on development projects has accelerated, with 90 percent of the projects expected to be completed by next month.
For the first time, Chief Minister Bugti noted, there has been rapid progress on development projects in Balochistan. He mentioned that long-standing ongoing projects would be completed within the current financial year by releasing funds, which would eliminate their long-term financial burden.
He further explained that delays in funds due to departmental obstacles often lead to increased costs for projects, and this issue must be addressed.
Bugti emphasized that the construction companies working on slow-moving projects would be blacklisted, and departments failing to utilize allocated resources in a timely manner would face strict accountability. He also clarified that while the government is responsible for setting policies, it is the officers’ responsibility to implement them effectively.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also instructed the launching of a standard public transport system and ordered the swift completion of the Mangi Dam project to ensure the commencement of water distribution. He reiterated that the next fiscal year’s budget would be designed to align with the needs of the public, urging all departments to take the needs of the common public into account during their planning.