LAHORE: The higher financial cost of the proposed ‘mini civil secretariat’ in south Punjab to counter the narrative of Seraiki Sooba proponents has put the Shahbaz government in a fix.

As it has gone too far in finalising the plan of setting up the mini civil secretariat in Multan, the matter of financial cost is compelling the government to weigh other options as well. “Every demand in the upcoming `election-year’ budget is a competing demand and the government is exercising extra caution in developing plans to meet financial needs within its means,” said a senior official, who is privy to the south Punjab secretariat plan.

In order to cut down the cost of the mini secretariat, the government is also weighing options to create the post of additional chief secretary (south) and ask south Punjab’s three divisional commissioners – Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur – and directors of respective department to report through the ACS (south). The ACS (south) will report to the chief secretary in Lahore.

In its plan B, the government is considering creating posts of special secretaries of respective departments in Multan to facilitate the masses in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur divisions. The special secretaries, other than the special secretaries already serving respective departments, will report to their administrative secretaries.

For the mini secretariat, it is learnt, the government might demand the creation of some 200 new posts in Multan. Sources say that this might be a tough financial decision on the part of the government.

“Both proposals are still under consideration,” said a senior officer and this point of view was endorsed by a finance department official who said “the administrative decision for south Punjab is still fluid as financial implications are being worked out for both plans”.

Sources said the government’s exercise for preparing budget for the fiscal 2017-18 is in full swing and the chief minister himself has started calling meetings to give policy guideline to planning and development and finance departments. This will be a “make and brake” budget for all the political parties, including the PML-N, in south Punjab.

They said that in the meeting the widening gap of power supply was taking centre stage in discussions and pressure was being exerted to ensure PML-N government’s promise of ending loadshedding before the 2018 general elections.

Sources said the government was also looking at the options of giving lucrative package to south Punjab in its Annual Development Programme.

“The chief minister may be announcing mega projects for south Punjab to take political mileage in the next general elections,” it is learnt.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2017