MULTAN: Punjab Energy and Environment Minister Dr Akhtar Malik says the government has decided to conduct the audit of energy projects initiated by the Shahbaz Sharif administration as a number of financial irregularities have surfaced.

Talking to media after participating in the Muharram 9 central procession in Mumtazabad here on Thursday, the minister said the government was going to devise such policies which would ensure the availability of electricity to the masses at low prices.

He said the provincial government would revisit solar power projects initiated by the Shahbaz administration; however hydel schemes would be given priority to provide low-cost electricity to the masses.

MNA Zain Hussain Qureshi, who was accompanying the minister, said suspension of sentence of Nawaz Sharif had nothing to do with the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Saudi Arabia as it was already scheduled.

“These are mere speculations as the appeal of the former prime minister was already being heard by the court,” he said.

Qureshi said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was sincere and serious for the establishment of south Punjab province; “however constitutional steps are required to achieve the purpose and a committee consisting of foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Makhdoom Khusru Bukhtiar has been formed which will start its work after Muharram.”

“Two-thirds majority not only in Punjab Assembly but also in National Assembly is necessary to create the province,” he added.

The legislator said issues of the people of Multan and south Punjab could not be resolved without the creation of new province.

He said on the recommendations of the parliamentarians from south Punjab, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar would stay in Multan one day in a week so that the issues of the people of south Punjab could be resolved and they had not to travel to Lahore.

RESHUFFLE: Massive reshuffle of clerical staff of deputy commissioner office has taken place during the last couple of months as more than a hundred employees of various branches of the DC have been transferred, it is learnt here.

The DC office has 20 branches - general and English branch, establishment, protocol, copying, district nazarat/budget, benevolent fund, head vernacular clerk, naib tehsildar, colony, district revenue agency, public order, taxation, arazi record, registration, education and health, disaster management, service, facilitation, enforcement/regulation, monitoring and inspection branch.

On Sept 18, seven more employees of DC office have been transferred through notification No 835/EB/DC by the additional deputy commissioner (headquarters).

Sources say the major purpose [behind the transfers] is to give favour to a group of employees in the election of All Pakistan Clerks Association’s district collector/deputy commissioner office chapter scheduled to be held on Sept 29.

They say DC office superintendent Shahid Mehmood is contesting the election for the slot of president from Ittehad group while his opponent is Muhammad Ashraf from Jalalpur Pirwala of Insaf group.

They say as Mr Shahid has served under incumbent DC Muddassir Riaz Malik who once remained posted as additional deputy commissioner (revenue), so the DC has [allegedly] given a free hand to Shahid to transfer employees to accommodate his voters and ‘victimise’ the members of other group.

They say [to accomplish his agenda] Shahid has shifted his office adjoining to the DC office and he makes lists for the transfers/postings and then the list is sent to the officer concerned for notifications.

They say the representatives of the Insaf group have met the DC and informed him about the situation, but he took no action.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) Malik Shafiq said: “All the transfers have been made on administrative grounds and are a routine matter. The administration has nothing to do with the politics of employees.”

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018